


12 Things I (Somewhat) Loathe About You

by strawberrylace



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Fusion, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, also i've been watching way too many teen movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-04-20 23:24:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: How do I hate thee? Here's Volume I of III, start reading Nerf Hearder...New student Finn is smitten by the popular Poe Dameron. Unfortunately, Poe can't date until his older shrewd brother, Ben, starts to date. With the help of his friend, Rey, Finn will stop at nothing to find someone that will be crazy enough to date the temperamental teen. Enter Armitage Hux, who might end up being Ben's perfect counterpart.Inspired bythis AU





	1. High Horse

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of things inspired me to write this fanfic, but mainly I was inspired by this [AU](https://armiesolo.tumblr.com/post/170522626498/kylux-au-10-things-i-hate-about-you-ben-solo-has-a#notes). It also helped that I had this preexisting love for all things 90's teen comedies. 10 Things I Hate About You has been a movie that has shaped me and it's my little tribute! 
> 
> So here it is, I hope you all enjoy it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter is a song title, kind of what I was doing when I was writing my Kylux High School series, as if you were listening to the soundtrack of this fanfic. I'll list each song at the end of each chapter!

Poe sank down into his seat as low as he could. As long as no one saw who he was driving with, he was in the clear. School was only six minutes away and now they were stopped at a light. A lime green Volkswagen Beetle pulled up next to them, blaring the latest Megan Trainor single. There were three girls in the car, all dressed in blue. Poe was positive that the driver was in his French class. When he tried to sneak a peak, the driver's window went down and the music was cranked up, over powering the girls' music. Their giggling stopped as they turned to stare at who was blasting Royal Blood. The girls stopped singing and stared at the tall boy in the driver's seat, his long black hair almost covering his eyes. Ben Solo stared back at them intensely, as if to try to scare them away. They quickly turned their heads and as soon as the light turned green, they sped off. Poe sat back up in his seat as soon as the Beetle was in front of them. The window was still down and music was still blaring. Poe glared at his older brother, shaking his head and turning the music down on the stereo. 

"Can you for one minute try to act human?" Poe asked. "Oh my god, now Stacy Kipling is going to tell everyone how you scared her off..." 

"Not my fault," Ben shrugged. "Don't touch the stereo, I was listening to that." 

Poe rolled his eyes, sinking back into his seat again and silently thanking his lucky stars that he and Ben were only adopted brothers.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn was not nervous about starting his first day at Tattooine High School. In fact, he was pretty excited to be out stateside after spending the past six months in London. The only part he hated was having to introduce himself, tell his life story. There wasn't a whole lot to Finn's story. His dad was an English professor who took jobs all over the place, some even out of the country. He was already starting to make a dent into his passport by the time he was sixteen. When his dad announced he was taking a more permanent job, Finn was relieved to finally live a more normal life than his semi-nomad life he'd been living throughout his teens. But when he first walked into Ms. Holdo's office, he knew that there was something definitely not normal about his new guidance counselor. 

"I'll be with you in a second," said Holdo with a smile. 

Finn nodded as Holdo finished typing up her latest chapter of her erotic Stucky fan fiction. Finn didn't know what to think of Ms. Holdo based on her appearance. Her short wavy hair was a vibrant lilac and her dress was an understated olive green. Did she moonlight as a punk rock singer on the weekends or was she going through a midlife crisis? 

She shut her laptop and smiled. "Finn, I hope you'll make Tattooine High your home for the next two years of your high school career." 

"Uh, yeah," Finn stammered. "I really hope so too. It'll be nice to be in a permanent place for longer than a semester." 

"Ah, yes. Your records show you've traveled quite a ways. London must've been nice." 

"It was alright. My dad had a fellowship at Oxford and was offered a more permanent job at University of Washington..." 

SPLAT! 

Finn didn't see it coming but Holdo's window was now covered in egg salad, the chunks of egg and mayonnaise sliding off the window. Holdo didn't even turn around to see the mess that was made by some roudy upperclassmen. 

"Goddamn shit for brains in this school have no respect," she said aloud. 

"Uh," Finn looked around the room, wondering if anyone else heard her speak so frankly, "Am I in the right room or?"

"Sorry about that. Just a first hand look at some of Tattooine's finest, is all," said Holdo, handing Finn a couple of pieces of paper while leading him out of her office. "Now, I'm sure someone will be willing to show you around the school your first day. Here's your class schedule and a map printed out. Don't be intimidated by it's size. Everything should be easy to find by the end of your first day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pressing appointment with one of my," Holdo took a deep breath, "favorite students."

Finn was looking through his papers when he bumped into Holdo's next appointment. He looked up at the student for a moment, mumbling sorry before excusing himself out the door quickly. 

Holdo didn't have to look up from her laptop to see who it was who entered her office. Armitage Hux was a man of mystery. Many rumors surrounded the 6'1", redheaded, Irish lad, like where he came from, why he was absent for a year, and whether his Irish accent was the real deal. He kept to himself for the most part, hanging out on the bleachers smoking cigarettes with his cohort, Dopheld Mitaka. But that didn't stop him from getting into some trouble every now and then...

"Armitage," Holdo pursed her lips, her eyes still glued to her laptop screen. "Nice of you to make these a weekly visit." 

"Oh Holdo, the time we spend together is always a pleasure when it's with you," said Armitage, taking a seat in front of her desk and kicking his feet up, not noticing that he had knocked over Holdo's nameplate. "Would you like me to start bringing you coffee when I stop by? I can always run to Starbucks right before class."

"That won't be necessary, Hux." She shut her laptop closed and huffed at the sight of Hux's combat boots, pushing them off her desk with a pencil.

"But maybe you can bring Mr. Snoke something after nearly setting the chemistry lab on fire last week." 

"How was I supposed to know that I turned the gas on too high? Plus, my lighter wasn't working and there are no rules about not lighting up in free period." 

"You know that cigarettes are bad for your health but even you know that lighting up your cigarettes inside the classroom is prohibited! Light them up under the bleachers like all the other burnouts. Now run along, Bono. I've got other deviants to see." 

"Maybe next week I'll bring you a white chocolate mocha with a scone? Blueberry?" 

"Scat Armitage!" 

Feeling somewhat defeated, Hux showed himself out the door. When the door was shut, Amilyn Holdo went back to work on her Stucky fan fiction, thinking of different words to name Steve Rogers' "member".

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Finn was gathering all his books he needed for first and second period, a bright and cheerful girl with little brown buns in her hair, dressed in a grey bohemian dress and brown leggings came up from behind. 

"Hi there!" she greeted Finn with a smile and an extended hand. "You must be Finn! I'm Rey, at your service!" 

"Hi Rey," Finn accepted Rey's greeting, feeling relieved to have met a friendly face at this school. "You must be my guide for this school?" 

"Obviously! I'm sure you probably expecting some lame-o AV geek to give you some boring background on the founder, blah blah blah, but fear not. We're gonna gloss over that and get straight to what's important. I know all there is to know about the people who occupy the school, from the burnouts to band geeks, and everyone in between!"

Rey took Finn's hand for a moment to give him a tour of the halls, pushing themselves through the upperclassmen that were blocking their way. She was animated about all that she knew about the school but she was very nice. Finn had only a couple friends back over in London and he was grateful that Rey was able to take him under her wing so quickly. She pointed out which clique was which ("Drama Club hangs out in the corner of the quad, the stoners just lay around on the lawn wherever..."), who interacted with who ("Band geeks and the choir date each other. Don't ask how I know this."), as well as where all Finn's classes were going to be. Luckily for him, Rey was in almost every class. As she was leading him to first period, World History, Finn stopped in his tracks when he saw him. 

Time had stopped when he laid eyes on Poe Dameron. His wavy black hair, dark brown eyes, and his perfect smile made Finn melt into a puddle. He could've sworn they stole a glance from each other for a milisecond before he was joined by his best friend, Jessika Pava. Much to his luck, they were all going to the same class. As Finn took his seat next to Rey, he watched as Poe and Jessika sat two seats in front of them. He could only make out a bit of what they were talking about. 

"I mean, if I really wanted to," said Poe, "I would totally just get my own car. I mean, wouln't I look cool in a Firebird?" 

"But what about a T-Bird?" asked Jessika. "I mean, those are the same kind of cars, aren't they?" 

Poe thought for a moment. "I dunno. But my car has to be red, because it's the only cool color for a car." 

"Oh my god, you would look so cool in a red car!" 

Finn sighed, still staring at how dreamy Poe looked. 

"Keep staring lover boy," said Rey behind her book. "Poe Dameron is totally unattainable and way out of your league as a sophomore." 

Finn looked back at her quizzically. "Does he...?" 

"Nope, but his mom has this ridiculous rule that he and his older brother can't date until they graduate." 

Finn could feel his heart start to crack. 

"But rest assured, I think you're wasting your time on Poe. He's quite dense for someone who takes junior level math. Not to mention, all he and Jessika Pava ever care about are looks and popularity. They haven't a care for other around them." 

Finn was going to say something else but their teacher had just walked in. Rey had to be wrong. There was more than just beauty to people. Somewhere, deep down, Poe was multilayered. Rey's dismissals would not deter him as he kept stealing glances at the back of Poe's head through the duration of class.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second period Literature was one of Ben Solo's favorite classes. It would be a lot more enjoyable if it weren't for Johnny Blazzo, the most obnoxious asshole in all of Tattooine High School. Johnny was seen as the hottest and most popular guy as well. Girls and guys swooned over him, with his bronzed skin, his bleach blonde hair, and his toned muscles. Everybody wanted a piece of Johnny Blazzo, except for Ben Solo. Ben had some bad, shared history with him, history he didn't want to delve into. He was so annoyed with the way Johnny strutted around school and acted. Just because he was a local model in the greater Seattle area, it didn't mean that he owned the place. Not to mention, did Johnny really think that he'd break out of local? 

"Alright class," Mr. Miller annouced, the class' cue to take their seats. "I hope everyone finished The Old Man and the Sea over the weekend. What did we all think of it?" 

The class just sat there in silence, looking around at one another in hopes that someone would talk. Ben looked around at his peers and rolled his eyes. 

"I thought it was rather dull," Ben said aloud. He could hear a couple groans from the peanut gallery but he chose to ignore them. "What constitutes this story as a revered classic anyway? A man goes to sea to find a fish and he doesn't even keep it! How stupid is that! Not to mention Hemmingway was an abusive alcoholic." 

"Oh geez," Mr. Miller almost wished that he didn't allow Ben to speak up. 

"I mean, there are so many different authors that we could be exploring in this class, such as Virginia Woolf, Ted Chaing, or Samuel Delany? Why does it have to be the same five authors that our parents read when they were our age?" 

"Ben, I wish I could get us read stories from Samuel Delany. I really do. But since no gives a rat's ass about diversity, we're stuck reading Tuesdays with Morrie until your kid's kids start coming here." 

Ben sat at his desk, he looked around to see that Johnny was whispering something to a couple of other guys, snickering and pointing at him. Ben wondered if Johnny had anything better to do than to constantly talk about him. It was shaping up to be just another typical Literature class. 

"Is that all?" Ben asked. 

"No, get out of my class and see Ms. Holdo!" 

"But Mr. Miller, I-"

"OUT!" 

Ben scoffed as he collected his books and marched out of the classroom. Johnny watched Ben leave the classroom with a smirk on his face. 

"Don't say a word,' said Mr. Miller, pointing at Johnny. "I didn't graduate from Yale to deal with punk ass bitches like you every day..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High Horse-Kacey Musgraves


	2. Feel Like Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!! I'm pretty sure I've rewatched this movie at least 5 times this week so that I can find a way to rewrite all my favorite bits into this story. Also, let me know what you all think of this story and the songs I have picked for the soundtrack of this fic. 
> 
> Thank you all for checking this story out!!

Amilyn Holdo was not completely surprised to see Ben Solo walk into her office. In fact, the visits that Ben made to her office were not far and few between. If Ben didn't have such a big mouth, he would manage to stay out of her office more often. At least he was one of the few who had the grades to back up his smart mouth.

"Ben Solo," Ms. Holdo looked up from her laptop. "Terrorizing Mr. Miller's class again?" 

"I'm pretty sure he's just finding any reason to send me out of his class," Ben huffed, plopping down in the chair. "I see you're still working on that Stucky fan fiction from last time?" 

Amilyn narrowed her eyes at Ben. "It's a work in progress, which speaking of, I've heard that Joey Mattarazzo is getting his cast removed today, thanks for asking!" 

"I maintain that he twisted his own wrist in the lunch line. Serves him right not to go grab a girl's ass without consent." 

Amilyn sighed. "Ben, here's the deal. Some of your peers would best describe you as..." 

"Deep and intellectual?" 

"Actually, 'Temperamental know-it-all' is the term used the most." 

Ben rolled his eyes. He should've known. 

"Perhaps you could work on...softening up your image," Holdo suggested. "Try not to be so hostile. You can't just be angry for the rest of your life." 

"As always, thank you for your guidance," Ben said with a hint of sarcasm. As he turned to leave, he called out to Ms. Holdo and said, "Let me know if Steve and Bucky do end up sharing that bed in the cabin!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was drawing to a close. Finn had successfully survived another first day of school. As he was walking out of class with Rey, he bumped into a taller boy who looked very buff and tan. Finn wanted to apologize but the boy strutted away. He was rather curious who that standoffish young man was. 

"Oh my god, that's Johnny Blazzo," Rey sighed. 

Finn looked at Rey and then back at Johnny as he was joined by his crowd of goons. 

"His father owns a car dealership but that's not why he's so popular." 

"Why is he so popular?" asked Finn. 

"He's a part-time model." 

Finn did a double take and chuckled. "Really?" 

"Local model. He was discovered at the mall a couple of years ago and has been doing ads for athletic wear, socks, cold medicine. He's hoping to be a model for Calvin Klein." 

"Oh my god," Finn snorted. "Seriously? Okay, him and like thousands of other young model hopefuls want the same dream!" 

"Right? So ridiculous..."

Finn's mind trailed off when he caught sight of Poe walking out with Jessika, animatedly chatting away. Rey noticed he wasn't listening to her and scoffed.

"Have you seen the way Poe's eyes shine in the sunlight?" Finn asked. "It really makes his brown eyes look more golden..." 

"Finn, even if his mom wasn't in the picture, Poe is nothing but a conceited prince, filled with hot air. He is way out of your reach and cares only for himself." 

"Rey, how can you say that about him? I mean, have ever fell for someone so perfect?"

Rey shook her head, biting her lip. "You're really head over heals for this guy aren't you? Tell you what, if you really want to take a shot at it, Poe is looking for a French tutor. That's your perfect window of opportunity." 

"Alright! I'll do it!" 

"You take French?" 

Finn could barely get through Spanish II at his last school, but considering the situation, learning a new language would be a great way for him to get to know Poe more. What better way than by teaching Poe the language of love? "It can't be that hard to learn, can it?" 

"Oh Finn, I really hope you know what you're doing..." 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the parking lot, Ben and Phasma were walking over to his car. Phasma Richards was statuesque, standing an inch shorter than Ben, with short platinum blonde hair and dressed in mostly metallic colors. She scoffed at people who told her they were afraid of Ben, telling them that it wasn't personal when he had his outbursts. She defended him fiercely but sometimes wondered if he was a bit much. But then again, she'd be able to put him in his place if he was out of line. 

"I'm pretty sure Snoke wants me to put me back in as midfielder," Ben sighed, fishing his keys out of his pocket. "I hate playing midfielder because I stick out like a sore thumb on the field..." 

"It's not our faults we were blessed with such height," Phasma smirked. "I take it Snoke hasn't completely forgiven you for the match up against Jakku Academy?" 

"Hey, that guy was charging after me and I was playing defense! What did he expect me to do?" 

"Not tackle your opponent." 

"I apologized!" 

As the two of them were about to get into the Ben's car, a red 1988 Toyota Corolla that was handed down from his dad, an engine revved up from behind them. The car pulled up right next to them, a blue Mercedes Benz, blasting a 90's hip hop song. Ben narrowed his eyes down at the driver as Phasma stared at him blankly. Johnny Blazzo loved his car more than he loved himself, and who could blame him as the car came courtesy from his father's dealership. 

"Hey freaks!" Johnny called out. "Who's funeral?" 

"Hopefully your's," Ben answered. 

Johnny cursed under his breath and sped off. As Ben was getting in his car, Phasma looked out to see Johnny make a sudden halt to pick up a couple of people. She nudged Ben's shoulder to show him the guy and girl that were climbing over the seats to sit in the back. Poe was sitting shotgun while Jessika sat in the back, neither of them looked to be wearing seatbelts. Ben cocked his head as Johnny revved his engine up and sped out of the parking lot, Poe and Jessika crying out in cheers. 

"Good golly, has the art of wooing really died?" asked Phasma. 

"Society has killed everything good and simple," Ben shook his head, starting the car. 

He was careful to back out of his spot when out of nowhere, a yellow vespa tried to cross his path. Luckily Ben had stopped in time before there was an accident. He looked at the young girl and yelled out, "I have the rightaway, you scavenger!" 

The young girl waved her hands up, allowing Ben to pull out of his spot. As Ben left the parking lot, Rey rode her vepsa back over to Finn, who watched the incident unfold from across the way. He rushed over to her side as she adjusted her helmet. 

"Hey, you okay?" Finn asked. 

"Fine," Rey huffed. "Just a minor encounter with the cretin... That was Poe's older brother, Ben Solo." 

"Wait, they're brothers? How is that?" 

"Adopted brothers, but still. I swear, he's not even human. He's just a creature in a mask. I'll try to get that French tutoring arranged for you tomorrow. See you on the flip side."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leia Organa liked to think that she was doing a good job. Raising two teenage boys was not an easy feat, especially as a single mother, but she tried to do what was best for them. When her husband Han left three years ago, she did what she could to pick the pieces up and resume her life as normally as she could. Han's absence was hard on the boys, especially her oldest, and trying to get them to talk about it was difficult. She also noticed the dynamic between her sons change as well. Ben and Poe used to be tight, even though they weren't blood related. Now it was as if they were strangers to one another. Leia couldn't put her finger on why they'd resent being in each other's company so much. But as long as neither of them were getting into drugs or sex, she could try to rest easy.

Leia went out to get the mail while she waited for her sons to come home from school. Poe had texted her that he was with Jessika and that he was coming home shortly. When she walked back in the house, Ben was curled up on the couch in the living room, reading The Shining. She appreciated the small moments where Ben looked so peaceful, she wished he could stay this calm all the time. 

"Hello Ben," Leia greeted her son. "Did you pick any fights today?" 

"Sadly no," Ben replied. "But dinner's not for another two hours." 

"HI mom!" Poe waltzed in with a huge smile on his face, leaning in to kiss Leia on the cheek. 

Ben sneered and then smiled condescendingly. "That must have taken Jessika a long time to find our house!"

Poe mouthed "shut up" when Leia wasn't looking. 

"Oh my, Ben, something big from NYU came for you," said Leia, trying to hide her disappointment. 

Ben grabbed the packet and ripped it open. He read the first two lines of the letter and let out an ear-piercing scream. He ran around the house screaming and dancing while Leia and Poe watched with shocked faces until he flopped back on the couch. 

"I GOT INTO NYU!!!" Ben screamed. He heaved a huge sigh to catch his breath and hugged the packet. "My dream come true!" 

"Ben, that's wonderful," Leia started out carefully, "but I thought you were going to U of W? My alma mater?"

Ben's mood switched. "No, you want me to go there. We never agreed to it!" 

"So you're just going to leave and we'll only see you twice a year?" 

"I'll help him pack!" Poe chimed in. 

Ben was annoyed. "Poe, did you and Jessika remember to wear seatbelts in his car?" 

"Ben, stop trying to," Leia stopped for a moment and turned to Poe, arms folded. "Poe, who really drove you home?" 

Poe smiled nervously. "Mom, don't freak out but there's this guy, named Johnny, and he-" 

"No!" 

"Mom, you didn't let me finish! Johnny Blazzo is-" 

"I dont care how nice he is. I know where this is going! No, no, no! What are the two rules in this house? Number one, no dating until college! Number two, no drugs! Simple as that!" 

"But I'm the only guy in the whole school who isn't dating!" 

"Your brother isn't dating." 

"Are we sure he even counts as a person?"

"It's not my fault that everyone in our school has their heads permanently stuck in their anal cavities!" Ben retorted.

"Boys," Leia raised her voice slightly. "Do you realize how many young men have unprotected sex, especially those in homosexual relationahips?" 

Ben and Poe groaned. Even though their mom was an Ob-Gyn, her stories on her patients and factoids about STD's were always super uncomfortable. It was one of the many reasons why they rarely brought their friends over to their house. 

"I met a sixteen year old who found out her boyfriend gave her chlamydia. They had unprotected sex one time and her hot shot boyfriend never told her about his past sexual history. Do either of you want that?"

"No," Ben and Poe replied. 

Leia heaved a heavy sigh. "Maybe I'm being too strict. Okay boys, how about we do something different? While I'm still enforcing the no drugs rule, I'm throwing out the no dating rule!" 

Poe's eyes lit up. 

"When Ben starts to date, you can too!" Leia smiled, leaving the room. 

Poe stomped his feet, following his mom. "But he's an alien! What if he never dates?" 

"Then you'll never date and I'll get to rest easy at night!" 

Poe was about to make an argument when Leia got an emergency text from the hospital. She grabbed her purse and jacket, before leaving the door. 

"I'm done talking about it. Ben, I'm not done with you about NYU. We'll discuss later." 

Ben put up a peace sign as Leia left. Poe couldn't believe what had happened. Ben was over everything and went up the stairs.

"Why can't you just get some burn out loser to take you to McDonald's for once?" Poe yelled from the bottom of the stairs. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ben shouted. "Looks like you're gonna have to miss out on the ever so charming Johnny 'Ball So Hard' Blazzo." 

"Go suck an egg!" Poe marched away. 

"Go suck an egg," Ben imitated Poe in a high pitched voice, before slamming his bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel Like Rain-Motion City Soundtrack


	3. I Want It All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this story has gotten the kudos it has so far. Considering I'm constantly daydreaming about this story, it means a lot you guys are reading this. I hope you all enjoy my latest chapter!
> 
> Also, I really hope you guys like this curated soundtrack I'm creating with each chapter!

A couple of days later, Finn was flipping through the pages of French book in the library, waiting for his tutoree to arrive. Poe was running two minutes late. Rey was able to put in a good word to Jessika, thus relaying back to Poe that Finn was the best tutor there was. Rey had a handout all printed out and everything, filled with fake reviews but it was enough to convince Poe. Once that was set in place, Finn crammed in as much as he knew about French, thanks to the available textbooks his father had in his library. He was able to retain some of what he learned but as long as he had his paperback copy of the French dictionary with him, teaching Poe should be easy. After all, Poe had to know just as much as Finn did. Poe was now running four minutes late.

Poe arrived with his books, slamming them down on the table Finn was sitting at. Finn looked up to see Poe flipping through his French book, opened to a random page. He looked so cute with his denim jacket and orange tee, Finn thought to himself. He also wondered if Poe would pick up on the cologne he was wearing. 

"Hey, is this going to take long?" Poe asked. "Jake Santiago and Stacey Fitzgerald are breaking up for the fifth time and it's explosive!" 

Finn blanked out for a moment. "Uh, no! Quite the opposite, actually. Is there anything that you're struggling with in French that I can help you with?"

"Ugh, just don't make me hack my way to ask you for a pencil. I just want to cut to the chase!"

Finn wasn't sure what to make of it so he tried something he saw in a movie. "Um, well, there is another way we could make this tutoring session more interesting? Like we could immerse ourselves in French culture, with, say...crepes? At a café?"

"Are you asking me out?" Poe asked. "Aw, that's so sweet! Wait, what's your name again?"

"Finn. Anyway, i get that your mom has her rule and all but what if it were supervised? Perhaps that could convince her. I know this place by U of W and they have great French food and I-"

"Flynn, my mom now has a new rule that I can date when my older brother Ben does!"

Finn smiled, forgetting that Poe got his name wrong. "That's so great! Listen, do you like baseball? Maybe we could-"

"Ralentissez, Fran!"

"It's Finn."

"Finn. In case you haven't heard, my older brother is this alien who is incapable of any human emotion or interaction."

"So I've heard. Why's that?" 

Poe shrugged. "I'm sure there's a reason but it's weird. He used to be, like, the most popular guy in our school but then one day decided he didn't want to be popular and he's this antisocial emo kid with a vast vocabulary. Plus, he's a dick!"

Finn kissed his teeth. "Well surely someone will be willing to date such a difficult man. I mean, there's gotta be a perfect person that'd love to take Ben to a foreign film or whatever. It'd be like an adventure!"

Poe cocked his head. "You'd find someone adventurous enough to date Ben? You'd really do that for me?" Poe's eyes lit up, reaching for Finns hands. "Aww, you'rethe nicest guy I've ever met!"

Finn blushed so hard, his cheeks were starting to heat up. He ducked his head down so that Poe couldn't see him get so flustered. The seed had been planted and now it was time to make this come into fruition.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Rey and Finn had a lot of work to do, trying to put together some of Tattooine High's finest and most eligible bachelors. Unfortunately, those finest bachelors were lukewarm to the idea of taking Ben Solo out on a date. They tried to make Ben sound more pleasant than he was but no one was buying into it. In fact, when one guy was approached about taking Ben Solo on a date, he screamed his head off and jumped out the window on the first floor. After three days of asking all the upperclassmen that they knew, they came up empty. It was hopeless.

"Does your dad know Chris Harrison by any chance?" Rey asked Finn in Chemistry. "Maybe ABC will take him and do a new version of 'The Bachelor'. They have to take him then." 

Finn rolled his eyes. He knew that Rey was only trying to make light of their fruitless situation but he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. He looked around the room to see if he had asked all the upperclassmen. It seemed he had until he saw someone sitting right behind him.

The first thing Finn noticed about this guy was his curly red hair. It was as distinguishable as his height. He was dressed in a dark grey t-shirt, fiddling with a cigarette between his fingers while his shorter dark haired friend looked on. There was a certain look about him that Finn couldn't put his finger on. He looked like a man with no fear and this was someone who could handle Ben Solo. 

"What about this guy?" Finn whispered to Rey, trying not to point directly behind him. 

Rey spun her head around and stared back at Finn with bulging eyes. "Are you insane?" She whispered back. "You do not want to mess with Armitage Hux. I heard that he did time for arson. I heard that he sold both his kidneys for VIP passes to Glastonbury!"

Finn wasn't listening. What he heard was Armitage was the exact kind of extreme guy who could handle Ben Solo at his absolute worst. He cocked his head and smiled at Rey. "He's exactly what we need." 

Rey and Finn turned their heads to see Hux using the Bunsen burner to light up his cigarette, which Mitaka promptly shut off, making sure that Mr. Snoke wasn't looking. Hux caught the two underclasses staring at him and glared until they turned back around. Sneaking a peak, Finn could've sworn he saw Hux stick his tongue underneath the flame. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

The basement of the school was where most of the home economic and shop classes. It was also where Finn and Rey were able to find Armitage Hux the next day before lunch. As noticeable as he was, the redhead was hard to find when it came to tracking him down. Rey still had some reservations about approaching Hux, as her head was still warped around all the rumors about him. 

"What if he bites?", Rey asked, half joking. 

Finn laughed it off. "You make him out to be like he's some deranged lunatic or something! I'm not afraid of anybody." 

Hux turned out to be much more than Finn bargained for. When he walked in the shop class, there was no teacher to be found and the room had barely any direct sunlight. Hux was working on soldering some metal together. What exactly it was, Finn wasn't able to make out because as Finn tried to talk to him, Hux was pointing the soldering iron directly at him. Scared, Finn dropped his book on the ground and ran out of the room. When it came time for lunch, Mitaka approached Finn and Rey silently and handed Finn back his book. On the cover, it was burned with the phrase, "a bas les devoirs!" 

"I didn't know you burn a book with a soldering gun," Rey wondered aloud. 

"Yeah, so glad this wasn't a book I borrowed from the school," Finn sighed, wondering how much the school is going to fine him. 

Rey twisted her face. "So how do we get Hux to date Ben?" 

"I dunno, pay him?" 

"Okay, do you have money?" 

"Don't be ridiculous, Finn! Of course not. But we gotta find someone that does. We need a pawn. A very stupid and futile one of that matter..." 

Rey's eyes scanned the cafeteria. She wondered who'd be brave enough to approach Armitage Hux. Not only did they have to be brave and rich, but dumb was a very big factor. When she caught eyes on that perfect candidate, a knowing smile crept on her face. All she needed to do was make a strong case. 

Johnny Blazzo wasn't paying attention when Rey sat down at his table. The other popular kids looked at her funny as she sat down next to Johnny with a huge grin on her face. When a girl sitting across from Johnny cleared her throat, he looked up and sneered when he saw Rey sitting next to him. Finn looked on from a distance, wondering exactly how this was going to play out. 

"Are you lost, scavenger?" Johnny asked with a hint of disgust.

Rey ignored the comment and kept smiling. "Sir, I'd like to make you an offer you can't refuse!" 

Johnny shook his head. "You can't offer me anything that's worth a single penny to your name." 

"Oh really? I can't offer you the heart of the one young man you desire the most?" 

His ears perked up, knowing exactly who Rey was talking about. "What's Poe have to do with it?" 

"Johnny, you're aware that Poe can't date until Ben does, correct?" 

"You're spewing out basic facts," said Johnny, drawing something on Rey's notebook. "And I'm starting to lose interest." 

"I'm getting there!" Rey cried out. "Anyway, we have our man. The only problem is, we need a push in order for him to pique his interest in Ben." 

"And who is that guy?" 

Rey pointed Hux out from the far corner of the cafeteria, where he sat quietly eating his sandwich. 

"That guy?" Johnny's voice nearly cracked. "I heard he ate a live octopus once." 

"Eyes and all," Rey chimed in. "Anyway, you want Poe and we want Ben to be a little less of an ass. We can't get Hux to date Ben because no one is brave enough to ask the guy. Considering you're not afraid of him, my buddy Finn and I need you to pay him to take Ben out. You and Hux can make a payment arrangement and then from there, Poe will be all yours!" 

Johnny thought for a moment and nodded. "What's in it for you?" 

"A little common courtesy us all I ask in return when I'm struggling with the door or anything of that nature. Just proof that there's still some good in this world!" 

"Fine." 

Rey smiled widely as she reached for Johnny's hand. She sat and smiled at the rest of the table, who just scowled or ignored Rey's cheerful face. 

"Okay, you can go now," said Johnny, who was finished drawing on Rey's notebook. 

Rey hopped off, not noticing the crude drawing that was all over the back of her notebook. Finn rushed over to her side, demanding to know why Johnny Blazzo was now a part of their plan. 

"Are you crazy?" Finn asked. "What if this completely backfires?" 

"Relax," said Rey, "what's the worst thing that could happen?" 

Finn looked down at Rey's notebook and snorted. She couldn't tell what was so funny, until she saw the giant piece of sit that Johnny had drawn, with flies and everything. 

"What a shithead!" Rey exclaimed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Want It All-Arctic Monkeys


	4. Black Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for the moment you have all been waiting for...Ben and Hux meeting!!!! 
> 
> Yes, for all the Kylux shippers reading this, I'm sure you've been waiting for this to happen and here it is! I had to rewatch the scenes a few times to make sure I got everything I wanted in there, but also see what I could do to put my own spin on this story. All the while, listening to various songs to add to the soundtrack of this fic! 
> 
> Once again, thank you all for reading this and I hope you all like the latest chapter. As always, let me know what you guys think of the story or just in general!! Hope you all enjoy!

It wasn't hard for Johnny Blazzo to find Armitage Hux after school. Hux and Dopheld were sitting on the bleachers, smoking cigarettes while watching the boys' lacrosse team. Since they kept getting in trouble for smoking in the teachers' parking lot, they had regulated to going down to the field to watch their fellow students. Plus, Mr Snoke was too busy yelling at his team to notice the delinquents. They didn't see Johnny come up to them, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Hey," said Johnny. "How's it going?" 

Hux ignored him while Dopheld looked up, giving him the stink eye. 

"You know I had some great octopus the other day," said Johnny, trying to get a conversation going.

Hux then looked back at him, blowing the smoke in his face. "Excuse me?" 

"You see that guy over there?" Johnny pointed out to Ben, running out on the field with his lacrosse stick, his black hair blowing in the wind as he fit his helmet on. 

"Yeah?"

"That's Ben Solo. I want you to take him out on a date."

Dopheld snickered while Hux just watched Ben play defense on the field. 

"Uh, why?" Hux asked. 

"Look," Johnny sighed, "I can't take his brother, Poe, out until Ben starts dating. Their mom has this weird rule about dating for some reason." 

"Oh really? Aw, that's so sad! Not my problem." 

Johnny pursed his lips. "What if I were to provide for you generous compensation?" 

Hux laughed. "Seriously? Just to take out some guy?"

Johnny nodded, trying to keep his cool with this smart alleck.

Hux looked over at Dopheld, who shrugged and then back at Johnny. Hux realized he could have some fun with this bonehead if he was willing to pay up generously.

"What do you say to 25 dollars per date?" Johnny offered. 

Hux and Johnny looked back out at the field and saw Ben shove a junior half his size out of the wayas he ran down the field with the ball in his stick, scoring a goal. 

Johnny shook his head. "Okay, how about $35?" 

Hux smirked. "Well let's put it this way: We go to the movies, and that's $16 per ticket. He'll want a drink and some cookie dough bites, if that's what he fancies, we're looking at $10. That's if he's the only one who wants to eat!" 

"This isn't a negotiation," said Johnny gritting his teeth. "It's 35 dollars, take it or leave it, Weasley."

"55 dollars, Channing Tatum, and you've got yourself a deal," Hux smiled cheekily. 

Johnny grumbled under his breath as he fished out his wallet for. He couldn't believe that he was seriously making such a ludicrous negotiation with a criminal. After all, this was a guy who had allegedly made a bargain with the devil for a pair of speakers. 

"You better be worth it, Hux," Johnny sneered, handing Hux the cash.

Mr. Snoke was complimentary of the team's hustle and efforts when practice was over. Ben could've said differently but at least Snoke put him back on defense this time around. As Ben was changing out of his cleats, Hux came in from behind, waiting for the perfect moment to introduce himself. 

"Hey cutie!" Hux greeted a bit too enthusiastically. 

Ben looked up as he pulled his hair back in a little bun, eyeing the Irish lad suspiciously. 

"How's it hanging?" Hux asked. 

"Exhausted and dehydrated," Ben answered matter-of-factly. "But I'm working on the dehydrated part." 

"Ah, water does great wonders for the body! Keeps your skin clear, which I can tell you take care of." 

Ben smirked. "So glad someone has noticed my acne has cleared up! Glad you were here to compliment my now flawless skin." 

Hux laughed. "So Friday night works for you?" 

Ben rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, I would loooooove that!" 

Undeterred, Hux followed Ben as gathered up all his lacrosse equipment. 

"Consider it to be a night you'll never forget!" Hux tried to sell Ben on the prospect of a date. 

"Where, at the Taco Bell on Western? Do you even know my name?" 

"There's a lot I know about you that you might not be aware of." 

Ben rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, nerf herder." 

Ben trudged along, dragging his heavy lacrosse bag and leaving Armitage Hux in the dust. As Hux stood there bewildered, Rey and Finn were watching everything that went down in the stands. Finn turned to Rey with a worried face. 

"Hey!" Rey interrupted. "We have to stay positive! Come on, we gotta show some enthusiasm here!" 

Finn cocked his head and said with exaggerated pep, "We're fucked!" 

Rey nodded her head, "That's better." 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only time Ben and Poe spent any time with each other, outside of going to school, was in the bathroom that the two of them shared at night. It was also the only time that they seemed to actually get along. Ben was washing his face when Poe came in from behind, tugging gently at Ben's mini bun. Part of him was jealous that he couldn't grow his hair out as long as Ben could. Granted, it did wonders for accentuating his most prominent facial features, but the way that Ben wore his hair made him look severe, like Professor Snape. One of these days, he was going to drag his stupid emo brother to a salon to get it fixed so that it looked more fluffy. 

"Have you ever considered cutting your hair?" Poe asked, making a face. "You really do have pretty eyes, considering how hostile you look 90% of the time." 

Ben pushed Poe's hand away from his hair as he redid his bun. "My hair is fine the way it is," Ben sighed, patting his face dry. 

"But you could always go for a new look. Something that no one would expect. Maybe even a new attitude!"

"I don't care what people think." 

"I think you do."

Ben paused. "No, I don't. You know, popularity isn't the answer to all of life's problems." 

Poe ignored his brother's comment as he pushed his way to the mirror. "Well I happen to like being known for my good behavior, thank you!" 

Ben leaned against the bathroom, eyeing Poe's black vest that looked vaguely familiar. "Where did you get the vest?" 

"It's Dad's," Poe replied, dusting himself off.

Ben felt his chest tighten. "Have you been hiding that for three years?" 

"No, Mom found it in the garage last week." 

"So now you're gonna start wearing Dad's clothes to look tough?"

"It's not like Dad misses it!" 

Ben clenched his jaw. He knew exactly what Poe meant to say: Dad didn't miss them. He tried not to let it get to him, but Ben missed his dad so much, more than he let people on to believe. 

"Besides," said Poe, checking himself out in the mirror, "it looks good on me." 

"It looks tacky," Ben said in disgust, leaving the bathroom in a huff.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Sunday afternoon and Ben was running errands for his mom. He picked up some ribs from the local butcher, dropped off a package at the post office, and dumped the recycling off at the dumpster. It was still early for him, so he stopped at the record store to see if they had any new CD's worth checking out. While he didnt find the exact CD he was looking for, Ben was happy to find a copy of The Decemberists' latest release and a used Depeche Mode CD. He was less than thrilled to find an unwelcome guest leaning against his car.

Hux was in the Hallmark next door when he saw Ben's car out in the parking lot. He figured it was the perfect opportunity for him to see Ben outside of school. What Hux noticed was the shirt that Ben was wearing walking out of the record store, a mustard yellow shirt that said "Supercut" in red letters. He never imagined Ben wearing such a bright color, it looked good on him. 

"Nice shirt!" Hux called out as Ben was walking out of the record store. "Pick up any good music?" 

Ben made a face. "Are you stalking me?" 

"I was coming out of the place next door and saw your car! I thought I'd say 'hello'. That's all." 

"Hello, that's all."

Ben tossed his bag in the front seat with Hux still leaning against the car. 

"So what brings you on this beautiful Sunday?" Hux asked, trying to pick Ben's brain. 

"Running errands," Ben answered. "It's a very boring Sunday, actually." 

Hux was surprised by how unfazed Ben was behaving, almost stoic. "You're not afraid of me, are you?" 

Ben shrugged. "What's so scary about you?" asked Ben. 

"According to most people, there are many things that are scary about me." 

"Well, I'm not most people so I have no reason to be afraid of you." 

Hux smirked. "Then maybe you're one of the few who have thought about me naked, you little pervy birdy!" 

Ben made an exaggerated shocked face. "Gasp! Am I that vapid? Oh take me, ginger fiend! I want you to nail me as hard as you can!" Making a gagging noise, Ben rolled his eyes and swung his car door open.

Hux had enough. There was no use with this stubborn mule. Come Monday, Hux was going to have a little chat with that dimwit about getting a raise. 

As Ben was ready to back out of the parking lot, he heard a set of wheels screech, blocking his exit. When he saw the car, Ben couldn't believe his luck. 

"God, is today National Dipshit Day?" Ben groaned as he watched Johnny Blazzo get out of his car. 

"Hey!" Ben shouted. "Can you move?" 

Not paying attention, Johnny casually strolled past Ben's car and replied, "Go right ahead." 

Without hesitation, Ben checked from behind and rammed his car right into the front of Johnny's hot rod, shattering the left headlight and leaving a huge dent. Hux was not far when he watched the incident unfold. When Johnny came out of the dry cleaners, he saw that the damage had already been done. He dropped his suit on the ground and screamed, with Hux standing a few feet away and laughing. 

"YOU RAT!" Johnny hollered, running towards his car. 

Ben poked his head out from the car and tried to contain his laughter. When he and Johnny made eye contact, Ben cocked his head to the side and said, "Oopsie!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black Heart-Carly Rae Jepsen
> 
> Happy May the Forth everybody!!!


	5. Just Can't Get Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! New chapter is up! Sorry this is up a little later than usual, but I hope that this was worth the wait. Hope you guys enjoy!

It was a miracle that their insurance was able to cover the damage on Ben's car. However, it didn't mean that he was off the hook when Leia got a rather lovely phone call from Johnny Blazzo's father, demanding that Ben apologize to his son. With that, Ben's driving privileges were revoked for two weeks. All the while as Leia lectured him on the importance of safe driving, Ben couldn't help but feel as if this was a personal attack on him. After all, he was dead set on going to NYU and at this rate, his mother would do anything to try to keep him close to home. Much like how she tried to control his dad. But rather than pick a fight, he kept his mouth shut and just waited for her to ask him for his keys. These were going to be the longest two weeks...

On Monday morning, Phasma was more than happy to give Ben a ride to school. Poe, on the otherhand, got a ride from Jessika. 

"It would be best if we weren't seen together in public from here on out," Poe said to Ben, while he waited for Jessika. "You've already done enough to ruin my image."

Ben couldn't believe how overly dramatic Poe was acting. But then again, this wasn't completely out of the blue of his younger brother to act this way. He did dress in all black for a week when he found out that Zayn was leaving One Direction. So perhaps he was being less dramatic than usual. Plus, it wasn't like Ben had to look out after Poe 24/7. He was a big boy who could manage on his own, as long as he stayed far away from Johnny Blazzo.

Everyone heard about Ben maiming Johnny's car and all eyes were on Ben as soon as he walked in. The stares and whispers didn't bother Ben, but Phasma was weirded out by everyone looking at her. 

"I guess people are still talking about it outside of Facebook," said Phasma, as soon as she and Ben got to her locker. 

"They're not staring at you," Ben tried to reassure her. "Of course, this should be fun when Johnny and I have second period together."

"You'll keep a low profile this time?"

"Define 'low profile'?"

Phasma rolled her eyes. "Don't say anything out of line for once. You know I love you but you can be much sometimes." 

"I'll try," Ben sighed. "But only if Johnny isn't playing the victim card later today." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny tried to keep his cool when he saw Ben walk past him in the hall on the way to first period. He owed him big time for wrecking his car. Now it was in the shop and he had to drive the beat up Toyota. He tried to get his dad to let him drive one of the used cars in the lots but to no avail. And to think, the only thing he was getting out of this whole thing was an apology from Ben. If anything, that emo string bean should front up some money for what repairs were going to cost. Alas, there was some business that needed to be handled and Johnny Blazzo always made sure that things were handled.

Meanwhile, Finn and Rey were observing everything that was going on just a few feet away. As they watched Johnny walk up to Hux at his locker, Finn's stomach began to turn. He couldn't read mouths but everything that Johnny was saying to Hux didn't sound good. Rey was watching Hux's facial cues, noticing how unfazed he was by Johnny's outburst. In fact, Hux looked rather amused at how much Johnny was overreacting. 

"Are you watching this?" Finn whispered. "I told you that this was a bad idea getting Johnny involved in the first place."

"Okay, so we've hit a snag," said Rey. "But these are two young men that can work out whatever needs to be fixed!" 

"Rey, Ben hit Johnny's car and somehow didn't show up to class wearing a neckbrace! This is a perfect time to panic!" 

"Nah, Hux's got this. I mean, this guy has all the chill to just rub it off and we'll have our plan back on the ground!" 

This proved to be incorrect. Whatever Hux said to Johnny got him so riled up that he hit Hux's locker and stormed off. Shit had really hit the fan. In a panic, Rey ran over to Johnny's side as if she were a loyal dog, with Finn trailing behind.

"Hey there, buddy ol' pal!" Rey greeted, keeping up with Johnny. "You're looking quite swell today! Hopefully you're-"

"Cut the crap," Johnny stopped her in the hall. "Your guy needs to get his priorities straight. That little stunt Solo pulled is probably going to cost me a thousand dollars! He's lucky that we have good insurance. But someone needs to teach him a lesson!" 

"Johnny, we've got this under control! You just have to-" 

"Then fucking control it!" 

Rey and Finn stood there frozen, almost terrified, as Johnny walked away from them and down the hall to his first class. Kids were now making their way into first period. Suddenly, Rey and Finn were screwed. Rey was now starting to think that Finn was right: their backer might flip things upside down and screw things for everyone involved. It really was time to take things into their own hands. 

"Good god, we really are screwed," Rey sighed. 

"Yeah, not if I have something to say about it," said Finn.

"Wait, huh? Finn, what the fuck?" 

Before Rey could say anything more, Finn was going right up to Hux's locker. Finn was not going to give up so easily and there was no way he was going to let Hux scare him away this time. Realizing that Finn was actually doing this, Rey finally caught up to him but stood right beside Finn in case Hux tried to bite her head off. 

"Hux? We need to talk," Finn announced as he walked right up to his locker.

Hux turned around and slammed his locker door shut, his eyes narrowed. Rey looked him up and down, not realizing that the redhead was a lot taller in person than she imagined him to be. 

"Chrises, the fuck do the lot of you want?" Hux huffed. 

"We know about your arrangement with Johnny Blazzo," said Finn. "And we'd like to be of some service." 

"No thanks." The first period bell had rung and the three of them were late. 

"Don't you care as to why we want to help you out?" Rey asked. 

"Not really," Hux replied. 

"Have you considered the possibility that perhaps we want to bring two young and beautiful couples together?" 

"Johnny and Poe can screw each other as much as they want, I just want to get paid." 

"I think not!" Finn retorted. 

Rey glared at Finn. "What my friend, Finn, is trying to say here, is that the whole point was to get you and Ben together, as well as Finn and Poe. We only asked Johnny to pay you so that you would have some sort of incentive to want to take Ben out on a decent date." 

Hux stared down at the two of them long and hard. "So this is your guys' way of trying to play cupid, huh?" 

"It wasn't as thought out as we wanted it to be," said Finn, "but, yes, considering what we've heard about Ben and, to a lesser extent, you. We figured you would be the perfect bachelor for Ben." 

"Huh," Hux nodded. "And how's it going for you and Poe?"

"Well, learning French is a lot harder than I thought it would be. But hopefully I can make some progress!" 

"It hasn't been easy with Johnny constantly leering after him," Rey chimed in. "But we're working on figuring something out." 

"What if I kept him at bay from Poe?" Hux suggested. 

"What do you mean?" asked Finn. 

"Think about it, Johnny is in it for all the wrong reasons. He's not as tough as he seems to be and he's really stupid. Plus, you two aren't that terrible, at least from what Mitaka tells me. So, if you guys can get me some info on Ben, I'll make sure that Poe doesn't end up with the wrong guy. Sound good?"

Finn and Rey looked at each other for a moment and nodded. "Okay," said Finn. "Sounds like a plan." 

"Cool," said Hux, before making his way to first period. 

As Rey and Finn were walking to their class in the other direction, Rey let out a sigh. 

"We're fucked if this doesn't fly," she said. 

"No, don't say that," said Finn. "You're the one who said we had to stay positive, didn't you?"

"No, I like the plan we're going with. I meant we're fucked if our excuse for being late to first period doesn't fly." 

"Oh."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

All day, people kept asking Poe questions about the car accident. Was Poe around when it happened? (No.) Was it true that Ben took a crowbar to Johnny's headlights? (Also no.) Was Johnny reconsidering asking him out? (Poe hoped not.) This was not the kind of popularity that he wanted, being associated with his psycho brother. He was relieved to get out of class and head straight to the library to meet with his French tutor. At least he could spend a half hour or so just clearing his head and didn't have to field any questions. He wondered if this was what Leonardo DiCaprio felt like when the paparazzi followed him. 

Finn was startled when Poe slammed his book down on the table. Flipping it open to a random page, Poe put his head down and groaned loudly. 

"I hate my brother," said Poe into his book. 

The librarian from the other end of the room hushed Finn and Poe's table. She kept a close eye on the two, peaking up from her paperback copy of The Shining. 

"I didn't ask to be popular this way," Poe whispered. 

"Could be worse," Finn tried to reassure him. "I mean, the good news is, no one got hurt. Not sure how you're getting around without a car, but if you do need a ride, I'd be more than happy to give you a lift." 

"I thought you didn't have a car?" 

Poe wasn't wrong, but Finn was in the process of getting one. That was a shot that failed, Finn thought to himself. He looked down at his book in defeat. 

"Plus," Poe sighed. "Jessika is taking me to school while Ben gets a ride from Phasma." Poe bit his lip and reached his hand out to touch Finn's. "But that's really sweet you would do that." 

"I try," said Finn sheepishly. "And, for the record, I'm really glad that you weren't in the car when that went down and that your brother is okay. As much of a dumbass move that was, at least he's safe." 

"Ben would be surprised you've humanized him so much. Does your guy feel the same way?" 

"Actually he was quite amused by that stunt. I think it was more impressive than what he saw during lacrosse practice." 

"Wait, is your guy the tall redhead who hangs around after school smoking cigarettes on the bleachers?" A small smile crept up on Poe's face. "Oh my god, Armitage Hux is your guy?" 

Finn nodded, worried what Poe would say next. 

"Oh my god, I thought you would've picked his shorter friend. You know, the guy with the black hair that looks like an extra from Atomic Blonde? Good choice, though I have no idea how you managed to talk to him. Didn't he get arrested for trying to steal a guitar from one of the guys in Megadeth?" 

"My friend Rey said it was an amp." 

Poe laughed. "But seriously, I can't believe that he was there when it all went down. Armitage Hux is just as twisted as my brother. I mean, Ben will never go for him, unless he was Bill Skarsgard." 

"Poe, I can't just go fly out to Sweden and expect Bill to date your brother. Not everyone can marry their celebrity crush." 

Poe sighed, laying his head down on his book. 

"Hux wants to make an effort to get to know your brother," said Finn. "He's trying...but he just needs a push."

Poe pursed his lips. "If he hangs around during the lacrosse practices, why doesn't he go to one of the games? You know, get in that school spirit? I will admit that they're pretty exciting games." 

And suddenly, Finn had another reason to get involved outside of the classroom. If Finn brought Hux over, it'd be a perfect opportunity for Hux to see Ben in a a somewhat different light, a more sports pro light. Plus, if Poe was going to be there, he could get to know Poe outside of French tutoring. This was a no fail plan! 

"And when is his next game?" Finn asked, trying to be casual. 

"Uh, I think he has an away game Wednesday but i do know his next home game is on Saturday!" 

Finn nodded. "Well, looks like we know what we'll be doing Saturday!" 

"You're really going to bring him to an organized school function? Wow, you're a lot more ballsy than I thought." 

"Well, that's what they used to call me at my old school." 

Poe cocked his head to the side. 

"No they didn't," Finn said quietly. 

Poe smiled. "Well, if your guy is interested, let me know. I'll text you the time and everything. My mom will be there so hopefully he can be on his best behavior." 

Finn gulped. He almost forgot about Poe and Ben's mom, which meant there was still some work that needed to be done with Hux. Perhaps he and Rey could give him some etiquette lessons the night before, a la My Fair Lady. 

"Finn, I can't thank you enough for doing this! You are a life savior!" 

Poe threw his arms around Finn before he quickly collected his French book and left the library with a smile. Finn's cheeks were still hot and red after Poe left the library. There may not have been a lot of French that got done, but there were plans that were finally coming into play. It was crazy to think how plans could totally change the course of a day in a matter of hours. He looked over and saw the librarian was staring right at him, unamused by the events she was watching from her book. Finn looked around to see if there was anyone else that she could've been looking at but he was the only one in the library. With that, he knew that this was his cue to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just Can't Get Enough-The Saturdays (Depeche Mode cover)


	6. Right Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!I'm so sorry for the delay on this, but the new chapter is up and I hope you all enjoy it. As always, please feel free to leave any feedback you have. Thank you all for continuing to read this story and subscribing to it, it means the world to me to have such a supportive audience!!

"What do people wear to a lacrosse game?" Hux asked aloud. 

Rey and Finn looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, not knowing if this was a serious question or not. Along with Mitaka, the four of them were hanging around in Hux's room after school on Friday, going over what the plan to woo Ben was going to be. Finn and Rey were surprised that Hux even them to hang out with him and Mitaka outside of school, considering how much business they were doing with him in between classes. Still, it was nice for them to see what Hux was like outside of school and judging by the posters in his room, he was somewhat what they had expected him to be.

"Like, do I wear our school colors? Do I bring a big foam finger and wave it around?" 

"Probably not," Rey replied. "I mean, wearing school colors is always a good choice! You got any maroons and yellows in these drawers?" 

Rey looked through the drawers, pulling out every dark colored shirt she could find, tossing each one up in the air. Mitaka caught every shirt that Rey threw, until she finally found a baseball sytle shirt in maroon. 

"Boom!" she cried out, tossing it to Hux. "Do you wear anything besides dark colors?" 

Hux rolled his eyes. "Yes, there's no need to go through one of those big 80's montages of me going into a dressing room full of clothes that just showcase how pale I really am. Plus, I just happen to like dark clothes better." 

Rey sighed. "Fair enough." 

Finn looked around at all the posters and belongings scattered in Hux's room. Hux wasn't as complicated as everyone made him out to be. But then again, not a lot of people got to know him the way that Rey and him were these past few days. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of concert tickets on top of his nightstand, right next to his alarm clock. 

"You got a big show coming up?" Finn asked Hux, pointing at the tickets. 

Hux nodded. "Yeah, Greta Van Fleet show coming up. Mitaka and I were supposed to go but that's not happening. Might sell them instead." 

"My grandma is turning 90, so there's a big party for her," said Mitaka gloomily. "That's why I can't go." 

"Why not ask Ben to go with you?" Finn suggested. 

Hux scoffed. "Does he even like that kind of music? I always pegged him for a more whiny emo music lover." 

"It wouldn't hurt to ask him," Rey added. "I say, ask him after his game and see what he says. When's the show?" 

"Tomorrow," Hux replied. 

"Oh," Finn and Rey responded.

"Yeah." 

"Yeah, you're asking Ben tomorrow then," said Finn. 

"But what if he says no?" asked Hux. 

"Then take one of them with you," said Mitaka, pointing at Rey and Finn. 

"Not helping!" Hux retorted. 

"Listen," said Rey, "if Ben sees you at his game, it'll show that you are making an effort to really get to know him! Plus, who wouldn't want to go to a rock concert?" 

"Okay, then let me ask you guys this," said Hux, "how close are you to Poe going out with Finn?" 

"We're getting there!" Finn interjected. "In fact, we'll be at the game tomorrow sitting with Poe and I'm gonna make my move!" 

Rey looked at Finn with wide eyes. "You're actually going to do it?" 

Hux sighed. "Well, if shit hits the fan with me tomorrow, I'll be rooting for you, I guess." 

Mitaka smirked. "Oh god, this should be good." 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Hux, Finn, and Rey found a perfect spot to sit in the bleachers. They arrived early, just as the coaches and teammates were coming in. As the three of them sat up on top, they kept a close eye out for Ben and Poe. The three of them carpooled together in Finn's new car, a green 1999 Hyundai Elantra, to the game, all dressed in maroon and yellow. At first, Hux figured it would help them blend in with the crowd if they were all wearing matching colors, but after seeing everyone else not dressed in school colors, he wondered if he was doomed from the start. 

"Well, now I look ridiculous," Hux muttered to Finn as they looked out for Ben and Poe from their seats. 

"You look fine!" Finn tried to reassure him. 

"We look like a bunch of cheerleaders!" 

"Then we must be worst bunch of cheerleaders if I've ever seen some."

Rey nudged Hux, pointing out Ben as he made his way out on the field to join his teammates. Meanwhile, Finn saw Poe and his mom climbing up the bleachers to find some place to sit down. As they were walking towards them, Finn waved over to Poe to see if they wanted to join him and his friends. When Poe locked eyes with Finn, he was stunned. Not so much to see that Finn was there, but that Hux was sitting with him and wearing something that wasn't black. 

"Finn?" Poe asked, walking over towards him. "What brings you here?" 

"Hi Poe!" Finn greeted. "We figured your brother could use his own cheering section. Care to join us?" 

"Um." Poe looked around to see if Jessika was around. She said she was going to try to come to the game, perhaps bring Johnny along. The game was going to start soon and there was no sign of either Jessika or Johnny. He tried not to be disappointed but things weren't exactly peachy between the two friends since Ben maimed Johnny's car. On the other hand, it was nice to see some familiar faces for a change. 

"Sure," Poe replied. "Sure, I'll join you!" 

"Sweetie, should we wait for Jessika?" Leia called out as she made her way up the stairs. Poe cursed under his breath as his mom came up from behind, looking over at who he was talking to. 

"Oh, are you that hot rod, Johnny, with the car my son wrecked?" Leia asked Finn, looking over at Rey and Finn. 

Finn laughed nervously, extending his hand out. "No. I'm Finn, Poe's French tutor. We have a couple of classes together." 

"Ah. You're the one teaching Poe French? Good. He's been doing so much better since you've stepped in. I don't know why he decided to pick such an underused language in the first place." 

Finn just smiled while Poe buried his face in his hands, praying his mom would just stop talking. 

Leia looked back at Rey and Hux, noticing the maroon and yellow they were wearing, and smiled. "Nice to see some school spirit at these games. May we join you?" 

Finn looked back over at Rey and Hux, shrugging their shoulders with indifference, and then he looked over at Poe, with his eyes practically bulging out of his eye sockets. 

"Um, please, feel free!" 

Poe sat right next to Finn, while Leia sat right behind the two of them. The game was about to start, as the players began to take the field. 

"Hux, introduce yourself," Rey whispered to him. 

"Now?" Hux asked. 

"No, during the halftime show. Yes, now, you boob!" 

Hux swiveled in his seat and extended his hand out to Leia. He was surprised to see that this was Ben's mom. He wasn't expecting such a short woman with light brown hair tied up in a nice neat bun. He could tell that Ben had her eyes but not much else. Perhaps Ben looked more like his dad. Leia almost didn't see Hux's hand until he spoke up. 

"Mrs. Solo?" Hux cleared his throat. "Hi, Armitage Hux. I'm a friend of Ben's."

"Armitage," said Leia, accepting his handshake. "Pleasure to meet you. Call me Leia, no one's called me Mrs. Solo in years." 

Rey poked her head out and waved hello to Leia. "Hi! I'm Rey, I'm in Poe and Finn's classes and here to support Ben on the field, obviously." 

Leia smiled. "I see that Ben has quite the fan club." 

"He's good," Hux commented. "Tough, but good."

Leia looked at Hux quizzically. "It's a good way for him to get his anger out. He's such an angry young man sometimes." 

"I don't think you should be too harsh on him. He's just very spirited is all." 

"What makes you say that?" 

"I guess it's the way he's not afraid to speak his mind in Lit class or how he defies the high school stereotypes. He marches to the beat of his own drum." 

Leia smirked. "It's as if you know him better than I know my own son." 

Hux smiled and looked over at Finn, giving him a little thumbs up while Poe was watching the game. 

"Oh my god," Poe gasped. "Ben might actually score!" 

Hux stood up from his seat and watched as Ben ran faster down the field. Hux was in awe of how fast Ben was running, charging down the field as if he were the only one on the field. He held his breath as he watched Ben swerve past the other team on the field, pushing the guy on the other team down to score the goal. 

"YES!" Hux hollered. "GO BEN GO! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Everyone else on the bleachers was looking up at Hux, who was still standing up. Even Ben's teammates were staring up at Hux. He slowly sat back down in his seat, turned back to Leia and smiled apologetically. 

"Your guy needs to take it down a couple of notches," Poe whispered to Finn. 

"Why, are we supposed to act all solemn and quiet like we're at a golf tournament?" Finn jokingly asked. 

"No! I'm just saying, Hux should probably chill a bit. Though I think him talking to my mom really helps with things." 

Finn looked up to see Hux and Leia talking quite animatedly while Rey sat there intensely watching the game. He looked back over at Poe and noticed he looked rather bored being here. 

"Sorry if I'm in no mood to talk or anything," Poe admitted. "It looks like I got blown off once again by Jessika and Johnny." 

Finn was quiet. Of course Poe would've only been here if Johnny was here. Heck, they probably wouldn't be sitting near each other had Jessika even came by. 

"It's so annoying that Johnny's been acting so different towards me since Ben hit his car. Like, why do I have to be punished for being related to Ben? And then Jessika is all 'this has totally hurt your image now.' Hello? Those are not encouraging words that a friend needs to hear! Especially when I've done so much to establish my popularity, no thanks to Ben's antisocial demeanor."

"If it's any consolation," said Finn, "maybe it's good Johnny isn't here because who knows if he'd be heckling Ben the whole time or not." 

Poe gasped at Finn's admission. 

"If I'm being honest," Finn continued. "You always seem stressed out when you come in for French tutoring and it almost always correlates with either Johnny or Jessika. And then when you leave, you seem like such a different person. It's like you're so much happier when you're not concerned with popularity." 

Poe didn't know what to say to that. Was it true? Perhaps, but Poe had to live up to a certain expectation as one of the most popular Sophomores in his class. But seeing that neither Jessika nor Johnny showed up to the game, he was starting to wonder if they really were the people he wanted to be around with. How was it that Finn knew so much in such a short amount of time?

"Poe! Poe, down here!" 

Poe turned his head to see Jessika calling out for him and waving her arms at the bottom of the bleachers. She started to make her way up the bleachers, almost knocking over a family of four on her way up. When she got to the top, she plopped herself right in between Poe and Finn. Both were looking annoyed that she had invited herself over, while Jessika didn't seem to notice.

"I've been looking for you all over!" Jessika exagerated. "Where have you been hiding?" 

"I was with Finn and my mom the whole time," Poe explained, gesturing Finn. "You know Finn, from history class?" 

"Uh huh," Jessika nodded, barely glancing at Finn. "Johnny just texted me and said he's having a party at his place tonight. Everyone is invited." 

"Oh, Johnny didn't come to the game?" Poe tried to hide his disappointment. 

"He had a thing come up," Jessika lied. "But he'd love it if you came over tonight!" 

Poe sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'll come." 

"Great! Oh, and Finn and his friend can come over too if they'd like. Text me later!" 

Just as Jessika had gotten up to leave, the game was over. Tattooine had beaten Crescent High for the first time in seven years. It was a celebratory day for the Tattooine Rebels, as the team rallied around the field, embracing one another and dumping their Gatorade jug onto Coach Snoke, much to his dismay. While everyone else was still in the bleachers, Hux made his way out onto the filed to watch the team celebrate their victory. Hux couldn't help but smile as he watched Ben jump up and down with his teammates, so happy and full of glee. It almost seemed way too uncharacteristic for him. As soon as the team was done celebrating, Ben went over to the benches to gather up all his stuff and he locked eyes with Hux. Ben was like a deer in headlights when he saw Hux.

"Sup?" said Hux, walking towards Ben. "That was quite a play you made today!" 

"I should've known that was you earlier" said Ben, tying his sweaty hair into a mini bun. "Poe never pays attention to the games and my mom doesn't cheer at games." 

"She was really impressed with you when we were talking." 

"You were talking to my mom?" 

Hux shrugged. "She's pretty cool. Not sure what you and your brother have to worry about with her." 

Ben laughed, wondering if perhaps he entered an alternate universe in which his mom appeared to act normal. 

"Hey, you like Greta Van Fleet?" Hux asked. 

"Yeah, they're legit," Ben replied. 

"You wanna go see them with me tonight? I have an extra ticket and I was talking to your mom about it and was wondering if you were interested." 

"You seriously talked to my mom about taking me out? Oh geez, you're more of a sap than you let everyone lead to believe." 

"So is that a yes?" 

Ben paused for a moment. "And you're really going to make an appearance at my house, telling my mom that you'll be a gentleman and everything?" 

"I like to be a man of my word, something I take pride in." 

A small smile crept up on Ben's face. "Sure. But just so you know, she's a lot deadlier than she looks. You just haven't scratched the surface."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right Now-Rihanna


	7. Black Smoke Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for something (mostly) Ben and Hux centric!  
> So I try to use a lot of different artists when it comes to my song selections for this curated soundtrack. I mainly take cue from a specific part in the chapter that I feel would go great with whatever song I'm thinking of (like the last chapter with my Rihanna selection and I also happened to be in that sort of mood!) But when I first started thinking about this story back in Austin, there was one specific band I had in mind that somehow sparked a lot of inspiration for me when I was coming up with the outline of the story and even now as I think of future chapters. Now I'm using them in my next chapter, as well as naming this chapter after one of their songs!  
> New chapter is here guys! As always, thanks for your patience and your support. I greatly appreciate it

Ben couldn't remember the last time he had someone else other than Phasma come over to his house to have dinner. He also couldn't remember the last time his mom had allowed anyone else come over for dinner since his dad left. This day was really starting to shape up to be one of many firsts.

"This is the weirdest fucking thing my Mom has ever done," said Ben, pacing around his room while talking on the phone, "and you and I both know that she's done some weird things." 

"What surprises me is how much of an interest Hux has shown in you," said Phasma on the other line. "I mean, I've come to a couple of your games but you don't hear me cheering and screaming." 

"He was so loud too! No one gets that excited about lacrosse. If I had to watch a lacrosse game on TV, I wouldn't get that psyched." 

Phasma chuckled. "That's so funny. So what does Leia have on the menu for tonight?" 

Ben sighed. "Who knows, just as long as she doesn't try to poison him or anything." 

"You're actually worried about him? Who is this and what have you done with my friend Ben?" 

"I'm going into this as cautiously as possible. Besides, you can't trust a guy who supposedly has an artificial liver in his system." 

"How does one function with a metal organ anyway? Nevermind, I have to go. Text me tomorrow on anything to report." 

"Not that there will be much to report, unless it's a coroner's report."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe didn't even want to have dinner with Ben's supposed new "beau" and yet, here he was, helping his mom set the table up for their special guest for the evening. 

"You don't know the stories that I've heard about Hux," said Poe, as he gathered up all the eating utensils. "I mean, are you aware that he once got into a fist fight with Chris Martin from Coldplay over an order of fish tacos? And I always thought that Chris Martin was, like, super chill!"

"You can't go around believing every rumor that someone says about everyone," Leia tsked. "I don't believe that a boy like him would do something that stupid." 

"I'm just saying, we need to be careful with who we let date Ben!" 

"I am being careful, which is the whole purpose of this dinner! Maybe when your hot shot wants to step up to the plate, we'll have him over for dinner too!" 

Poe groaned loudly, slamming the glasses down on the table and storming out of the kitchen. As Poe was about to march up to his room, he heard a knock at the door. 

"I got it!" Ben called out from upstairs. 

As soon as Ben made his way down the stairs, Poe ran to the door, but not before Ben could make a dive. The two brothers wrestled each other down, fighting to let the guest into their house. 

"Get off me, you boob!" Ben grunted, trying to push Poe off his face. 

"I should get approval of who dates you since you hate all the guys I like!" Poe argued, trying to pin him to the ground. 

"WILL SOMEONE GET THE DOOR ALREADY?" Leia yelled from the kitchen, stopping the brothers' petty fighting. 

With that, Ben managed to get Poe off of him as his younger brother lay on the floor, looking rather defeated. Ben opened the door and there was Hux, looking rather spiffy in a midnight blue and grey baseball tee underneath his black leather jacket and light washed jeans. There was something different about him from earlier. It wasn't the change of clothes, though Ben had to admit that seeing him in maroon was a color that looked quite nice on him. Perhaps it was the hair. Normally, Hux always had his unruly red hair in his eyes and it looked like he finally invested in a comb and managed to brush it out of his eyes. Ben didn't want to admit it but Hux looked quite endearing standing at his doorway, holding a tray of lemon squares. 

"What are you doing?" Ben asked. 

"6:15, correct? I'm sorry if I'm early. I also brought lemon squares for you guys." 

Ben just looked at the tray. "Whatever, I'll show you the kitchen." 

As Hux let himself in, he looked down at the ground to see that Poe was still moaning and groaning from being taken down by his older brother. "Is he dead?" 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Dinner managed to go off without a hitch. Leia's lemongrass chicken with roasted potatoes and asparagus were cooked to perfection and the lemon squares were equally as good. The conversation was kept light and breezy, though Leia managed to throw in a question regarding Hux's plans for the future. Although Hux managed to answer everything without fail, Ben still couldn't help but keep a weary eye on him throughout the dinner. Poe, on the other hand, didn't seem to show much interest in Hux. In fact, he was more quiet than normal. Ben figured that this was because Poe was too preoccupied with what he was going to wear to Johnny's party after dinner. He wanted to say something about it but when dinner was over, Poe ran straight up to his room to get ready for the party. As soon as Poe came back down, he was out the door and off in Jessika's car. Not long after, Ben and Hux were headed out to the Greta Van Fleet show. As Ben was getting into Hux's car, Leia watched out from the front porch with one final request. 

"And remember kids," Leia called out, "NO SEX AND DRUGS!" 

Ben slammed the door shut, sinking into his seat with embarrassment. All day and night his mom was acting so normal and just when he least expected it, she was back to her crazy self. 

"At least she's looking out after you," Hux said reassuringly. 

"Please, there's no need for you to try to make me feel better. She is who she is," Ben sighed. 

Hux looked Ben up and down. Maybe it was the fitted green tee underneath the dark denim jacket or perhaps it was the way that Ben had his hair pulled into that little tiny bun, but there was something about his eyes that mesmerized Hux. He wondered if Ben was aware at how beautiful he really was. When Ben caught him looking, Hux fumbled with his keys, trying not to be so flustered, as he backed out of Ben's driveway. 

The Dark Horse was a mid sized venue in downtown Seattle, catering to a wide variety of music acts, from small up and comers to the big heavy hitters. On the outside, the Dark Horse was as black as the midnight sky. Inside, the walls were like a kaleidoscope of colors, a sight for sore eyes. The halls were plastered with posters of bands that have stepped foot from before and autographs from the likes of Lana Del Rey and Father John Misty. The venue itself had fans squeezed in wherever there was space to go and Ben and Hux had a view right in front. Ben kept looking over his shoulder, aware that his height could be problematic for someone much shorter than him. Luckily he was in good company with a few taller people around him, other than Hux. 

"You shouldn't have to worry about the other people behind you," said Hux. "It'll ruin the show if you keep looking over like that." 

"And you're not the least bit concerned about blocking someone's view?" Ben asked. "What if this is someone's first concert and it's completely ruined because there's a ginger tree in the way? What if someone wants to get a good picture of the band but it comes out terrible because your big head is taking up half the picture?" 

"Are you going to over analyze my height the entire time or are you going to actually watch the show?"

"I just wanted to put something into a different perspective. You know, try not to think about myself all the time."

"As opposed to your brother?" 

Ben paused for a moment. "I don't know where he gets this mentality of popularity will solve all the world's problems. It doesn't. I just...kinda wish he'd figure that out by now. He's a smart kid most of the time he's just..." 

"In over his head?" Hux finished. 

Ben sighed. "More or less." 

"He'll figure it out." 

"What makes you so sure?" 

"I'm usually good about predicting these kind of things." 

A small smile crept up on Ben's face, which he quickly hid from Hux as the band made their way onto the stage. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben had the absolute worst pain in his neck from all the head banging he was doing during the show. The opening act was less than stellar, but it was the main act that really blew it out of the park. The energy that Greta Van Fleet had was unlike any act that Ben had seen before. They were like the second coming of Led Zeppelin, if they were a young American band from Michigan. His ears were still ringing when he and Hux got out of the venue. His hands were shaking.

"Did you see that?" Ben asked Hux. "I mean, these guys aren't much older than us and they're out there rocking out every night! It's amazing!" 

"You seemed to really enjoy the show," Hux smiled. "How's your neck?" 

"Hurts, but I'll deal. I mean, those guys are out there, doing what they love to do, touring and performing. I mean...I want to do that." 

"You want to go on tour? I didn't know you were a musician." 

"It was something my dad, my brother, and I did together. Just us three guys. We had a name and everything." 

"Oh yeah? What were you guys called?" 

"Kylo and the Knights of Ren." 

Hux didn't know whether to laugh at the ridiculous name or whether he should say something encouraging. The name was so stupid, he had to know where Ben came up with that name. 

"Before you ask," said Ben, "I got the name Kylo as a combination of my grandpa's last name and my dad's last name. The Knights of Ren part, well, that was my dad's idea. He was kind of into Medieval Times and he thought of Knights of Ren and we'd all have our own names. I was Kylo Ren, Poe was Sado Ren, and my dad was Solo Ren. I know it sounds totally stupid but...when you're young, you think of stupid things like that and sometimes you hold onto them. Keep the memory alive." 

Hearing the sweet story behind the band name, Hux was touched. He was starting to see that there were more layers to Ben than what he put up as a harsh front. Ben was hopeful and obviously had a lot of love for his family, especially for his dad. For Ben, this was the first time he revealed so much about his dad. To have Hux be so attentive and listen to him, Ben felt like someone cared for him for who he was, not for what people had heard of him. It was shaping up to be a much more emotional night than either of them had anticipated. 

Ben's phone was buzzing in his pocket. He recognized the number and silently cursed himself. Poe was supposed to be out at his stupid party and Ben figured he was probably calling about a booze run and needed a car. 

"Poe, this better be an emergency," Ben said curtly. 

"Hi, Ben, this is Finn, your brother's friend from French?" 

"Finn?" Ben kind of knew who Finn was. He was the new guy in Poe's classes. He was a nice guy and he'd seen him with Hux as well. He mouthed to Hux that Finn was on the phone. Hux pressed his ear to Ben's phone and listened. 

"Ben, you gotta come here right now," said Finn with urgency. "This party has gotten way out of control and I can't find your brother." 

"Finn, where are you guys?" 

"I'm at Johnny Blazzo's house. Do you guys need the address?" 

Ben knew exactly where Blazzo's was. He wasn't looking forward to rescuing his brother, especially when things were going so well for him at the moment. 

"I'll be there ASAP." 

"What's going on?" Hux asked, after Ben hung up the phone. 

"Apparently my brother got lost in Blazzo's house. Finn called me to let me know. We gotta go get him." 

"Wait, how could Finn have..." Hux's voice trailed off, remembering that if he said something about Finn trying to get with Poe, this would start to unravel the tangled web that he had going on with bother Finn and Blazzo. "How could Finn have your brother's phone?" 

"Who fucking knows? I just need to make sure he's not somewhere in a ditch or performing some sort of satanic ritual my mom is always freaked out about! C'mon, we got a party to crash." 

Hux was always in the mood to crash a party, but tonight, this was not a party he'd want to be at. But then again, neither was Ben, so this was going to be all kinds of fun rescuing poor Poe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black Smoke Rising-Greta Van Fleet 
> 
> If you wanted to check them out yourself, I'll leave this [right here](https://youtu.be/vhbMbiYb5bg%20rel=)


	8. Say Amen (Saturday Night)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers, it's time to party! 
> 
> New chapter everyone! Hope you all enjoy it. Again, any feedback is greatly appreciated as I am getting to the midway point in this story. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!!

Johnny Blazzo had one of the most extravagant homes in the suburbs. Dubbed "Wayne Manor", Blazzo's mansion had it's own moat that circled the place, in addition to the basketball court in the backyard and a small pond in front of the house. It was the home for wildest parties at Tattooine High and anybody who was anyone wanted to be seen at Johnny Blazzo's. That was, everyone except Ben Solo.

There was no context as to what was going on with Poe. All Ben knew was that he was nowhere to be found by his friend Finn. It was also strange that Jessika didn't call to let Ben know about his brother. But then again, he wasn't the biggest fan of Jessika to begin with. He was felt she was a little bit spoiled. Also, what was Poe doing without his phone? He was almost always attached to it. 

"My brother is an idiot," Ben groaned. "If he's doing something stupid, I will drag his ass out of that house and back to my mom. He can't pull shit like that! Am I being unreasonable here?" 

"You gotta keep your cool with him," said Hux, pulling into the subdivision where Johnny lived. "My older sister pulled shit like that on my folks and they never gave her a chance to make her case. Makes them wonder why she doesn't talk to them." 

"You have an older sister? How come you never told me?" 

"You never asked."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn wasn't sure what to do with Poe's phone. He held it in his hand for a minute, staring at the blank screen. He was concerned about Poe's whereabouts. 

Finn and Rey managed to get an invite to the party, thanks to Poe. It wasn't as if he needed an invite, but Johnny was particularly selective of who could come over. Finn and Rey were not ones that would be at the top of his list and Finn made Poe aware of that. 

"If he gives you guys a hard time, tell him I said you could come," Poe reassured Finn earlier on the phone. "He's not that bad as people make him to be." 

Finn didn't care if Johnny was going to get pissed about being uninvited. He cared more about the fact that Poe was defending this asshat.

"This is your chance," said Rey, as they walked in the party. "This is your time to shine or so help me, all of this will be for nothing." 

The party was supposed to be the perfect time for him to tell Poe how he really felt. But he couldn't get a hold of Poe for more than a second. He seemed to blur in and out of each room, with Jessika at his side. The two of them giggled and swigged their PBRs with the cheer squad, the preps, and the football team. As they hopped from one clique to the next, Finn waited patiently to make his move, unbeknownst to him that was starting to waste his time sitting idly. It was while Poe pushed his way through to the crowded kitchen that he absentmindedly handed his phone over to Finn, as he shouted over the music for him to hold on to it. But Finn's heart was soon crushed when he saw Johnny following closely behind, holding Poe's hand. When Johnny and Finn caught sight of each other, Johnny winked at him, leading Poe into the living room. It was at that moment that Finn called Ben. He thought it was a good idea at the time. At least it would end up being a good night for one of them... 

"Fuck, why are there so many sweaty guys here?" Rey finally joined Finn outside, where she found him sitting on the basketball court, away from the madness inside. "It's only PBR left, hope you don't mind." Rey sat down next to him, handing him the beer and looked down at the phone he was holding. "Who gave you that?" 

"Poe," Finn sighed. "Right before he left with Johnny." 

"Oh my god. Finn, I'm sorry. You know Poe will never..." 

"So I called his brother to tell him that I couldn't find him." 

Rey crooked her head. "What? Finn, that's a stupid idea! If Ben sees Poe with Johnny, he's going to get pissed and a fight is going to break out! Then, who knows, their mom might not let them date until she's dead!" 

"Oh shit," Finn groaned, burying his face into Rey's shoulder. "Fuck, why am I such an idiot? Well, at least things are going better on Hux's front..." 

"But didn't they have that show together tonight?" 

"Yes..." 

Rey and Finn looked at each other with wide eyes, realizing that this was all going to fall spectacularly out of place with everyone in the same room together. 

"FUCK!" 

The two of them got up and ran back inside, spilling their PBRs all over the basketball court. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They could smell the strange blend of weed and cigarette smoke the moment Ben and Hux walked in the house. It had been a while since either of them had been to a party. No one seemed to notice the two of them walk in the house as they wandered around each room. Being able to spot Poe should've been easy enough. All they had to do was find Johnny.

"Hux, thank god!" Finn shouted from the kitchen, as he saw him and Ben walk in. He dragged Rey along as the four of them stood awkwardly in the middle. 

"Wait," said Ben. "Finn? You called from my brother's phone?" 

"Yeah," Finn nodded. 

"Well, how come you had his phone on you? My brother never leaves without it." 

"Your idiot brother handed it off to Finn," Rey replied. "Probably went off with Johnny upstairs so..." 

"HE DID WHAT?" Ben and Finn shouted. 

"HE is sooooo dead!" Ben left in huff, charging out of the room and up the stairs. Rey trailed behind Ben, not sure if she'd be of any help rescuing Poe. 

Finn sighed. "I didn't know what to do, Hux. I figured calling Ben would fix everything but I see it's made things worse." 

"You think?" Hux asked. "Finn, I thought you had it handled. You and Rey were supposed to have some master plan going..." 

"It didn't work out that way, did it? Look, I'm ready to call this whole thing off. Poe never wanted me in the first place and he's made it very clear tonight. I just...I don't want to see him get hurt and I can tell that there's something bad about Johnny." 

"Not just because he's a douche?" 

"Look, call me crazy, but I get an intuition about people when I first meet them. Like, when I first met you, I knew you weren't as terrible as people made you out to be." 

Hux looked down at the ground, wondering if he was still terrible for taking Johnny's money in this scheme. 

"But maybe, I just..,"Finn sighed. "I know that Johnny is bad news. He'll get his just desserts but right now, maybe I need to face the music." 

"No you don't," Hux replied. "Listen, Poe needs someone who actually gives a damn about what he has to say. It's not always about looks. It's about connecting with someone and realizing that maybe the world isn't a shitty place after all. That perhaps, we can find good people who like us for who we are, and along the way accept us for the difficult people we can be. I saw you and him talking at the game earlier and the way he looked at you, as if he knew he was being heard. I've never seen that before." 

"Poe noticed that?" 

Hux nodded. "I should've done a better job at keeping Johnny at bay from Poe." 

"It's okay. I'm sorry I ruined your date with Ben." 

"Actually, you didn't. We had a really good time tonight. Ben is..." 

"HOLY SHIT!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe didn't know how he got up there. He wondered if it had anything to do with the hash that he smoked with Johnny. It was much more potent than he imagined. But then after a while, Poe started to feel something, like he was stuck to the ground. Poe felt like he was sinking into the ground, into his seat. He started to feel paranoid and, despite Johnny's protests, Poe climbed out of Johnny's room from the second story, scaling the side of the house. But then he got stuck and soon he was hanging onto the gutters for dear life. Below him were Rey and Ben, freaking out over how he was going to get down from there and also wondering how far he managed to scale the gutters. 

"Holy shit!" Rey cried out again. 

"Poe!" Ben called out. "What are you doing up there?" 

"I felt like I was sinking," Poe replied. "I just wanted to feel the ground but maybe this is too high..." 

"Oh my god, he's high," Ben whispered to himself. 

"Ben, is that you?" Poe called out. 

"Yes, this is your brother. Listen I'm not mad at you for-" 

"Stupid Jessika left without me and I can't find my phone!" Poe cried. 

Rey and Ben rolled their eyes. 

"Poe, the fuck? You still hanging up there?" Johnny called out, running over towards Ben and Rey. The look on Johnny's face changed as soon as he saw Ben. Ben's face changed to disgust as well. 

"Great, you know he's been hanging up here?" Ben asked Johnny. 

"Jeez, are you his mother or something?" Johnny muttered. 

"No, but I'm a dead man if he comes home hurt!" 

"Poe! Don't jump from there!" Finn and Hux came running over to join the others. 

"Poe! I have your phone!" Finn called out. "Jessika had to leave because of an emergency at home. It's okay, don't be mad at her!" 

"Finn, you don't have to lie on her behalf," Poe called out. "I know she can be a bitch sometimes. You're so sweet though. Why do you have to be so sweet?" 

"Because he's a decent person," Hux called out. "Poe, you're gonna have to come down soon and we can help you. We will be there to catch you." 

Ben shook his head. "No, I'm gonna catch him. He's my brother and he can't go home with a broken limb." 

"You should probably make sure he doesn't smell like hash when he comes home either," Rey added, pointing to Johnny. 

Ben turned to Johnny. "You gave him hash? Are you really that brain dead?" 

"He wanted it and I didn't give him that much!" Johnny argued. 

"You're a dead man." 

Hux got between the two of them before they could duke it out. "Hey," Hux sighed, "can we focus on the fact that there is a 16-YEAR-OLD KID DANGLING ON THE GUTTERS OF THIS MANSION RIGHT NOW WHO MIGHT FALL IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING?" 

"GAH!" 

The five of them scrambled to see that Poe was losing his grip on the gutters. He couldn't hold on to them any longer, as his fingers slipped one by one. The fall was fast and as soon as Poe closed his eyes, he felt someone catch him. When he opened them, he saw Finn look down at him and say, "I got you." 

Finn carried Poe over to Hux's car, bridal style, with Ben, Hux, and Rey in tow. As Rey made her way back to Finn's car, Finn stayed put to make sure that Poe really was okay ater taking such a fall from the gutters. 

"I can't believe you saved me," said Poe. "Like, Johnny didn't do shit and you not only got me back my phone but you actually saved me. I could've broken my legs or died." 

"You took a hell of a fall there," Finn chuckled. "But I just want to be sure you're okay." 

"Finn, I know I'm high and all but...you're the only one who's ever seen me for who I really am. Not just some popular kid, but like...as a person. You actually make me feel like myself." 

Poe tugged on the lapel of Finn's jacket and kissed his lips softly. It was the sweetest and most wonderful kiss that Finn had ever had. As Finn pulled away, Poe smiled sheepishly, blushing. 

"Get some sleep, sleeping beauty," said Finn, walking away. It wasn't until he was halfway down that he realized that he was going down the wrong way and started to run towards his car. He had hoped that Poe didn't see the embarrassingly wide grin that he had on his face after that kiss. It was something that he would never forget. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car ride home was uncomfortably quiet for Hux and Ben as Poe dozed off in the back. Ben kept looking back over at his younger brother, hoping that he was still sleeping. They were parked right outside Ben and Poe's house. The outside lights were still on and their mom was definitely sleeping by then. He texted her that he was going to pick Poe up from the party but she never responded. He hoped that the door was unlocked. If she did not get his message, Ben was just going to have to face the wrath of Leia over breakfast while Poe slept through his hangover. 

"How am I supposed to explain why we're both home so late?" Ben mumbled. "Granted, she never replied back to my text but, that's not a fight I want to have with her." 

"Don't worry about it," Hux reassured. "As long as he's home in one piece. Poe is lucky he's alive." 

"I'm just grateful that nothing worse could've happened to him. Fucking Johnny though..." 

"Is there something that happened between you and Johnny that just fuels your hate for him?" 

"Johnny and I have a complicated history together and he is well aware that he's an ass. The fact that he'd leech off my brother just," Ben sighed, unable to finish his thought. 

Hux wanted to ask what kind of complicated history there was between Ben and Johnny but he had pretty good hunch as to what that history was between the two enemies. It was best not to pry and if Ben wanted to say something about it, he would. But tonight was not that night. 

"Look, you really should give Poe more credit than he gets," Hux said quietly. "He made a stupid mistake, you know how that is, right?"

Ben scoffed. "Hux, he could've really hurt himself tonight, no thanks to Jessika or Johnny. He used some piss poor judgment and I'm damn lucky I'm not bringing him home in crutches to my mom! So I'd really appreciate it if you kept those opinions to yourself!" 

Ben slammed the door shut. Hux wanted to help him get Poe out from the back seat, but just sat in the driver's seat as Ben undid Poe's seat belt and dragged his brother out of the car. He watched as Ben carried his brother up the front steps and opened the front door. As soon as they walked in, the front porch lights shut off and Hux was sitting all alone in his car. He wished he hadn't said anything. Things were going so well for him but then that party had to happen and had to open his big mouth. It was just like him to have it get him into more trouble. He was lucky that Ben and Johnny didn't fight. That would've been a whole messy ordeal. But then there was the original arrangement he had going with Johnny. It didn't feel right to be taking money from this slimeball. None of it felt right now that he was falling for Ben. Especially now that he really wanted Finn and Poe to be together. He had to make things right before it all went wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say Amen (Saturday Night) by Panic! At The Disco
> 
> If you've ever read any of my previous Star Wars one shots, you'll know how great of an influence P!ATD has been when it comes to writing!


	9. Mr. Tillman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So sorry for the short chapter. Things have been crazy on a personal level but I didn't want to get that in the way of posting a new chapter. Again, I hope that the next one makes up for this short chapter! Thanks again for all your support and whatnot! 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Poe slept in until noon the next day. Ben came down for breakfast and his mom was in a pleasant mood, asking him about the concert and if Hux had any problem with taking Poe home with them. Ben told her that it was no big deal, brushing past the little quibble he had with Hux last night. 

"I'm just glad you boys came home safe," said Leia. "I'm sure that Poe had quite the night last night." 

"Go easy on him," said Ben. "He had a crazy night last night." 

Leia pursed her lips. "He'll get a free pass this time. But only because you and Hux were the responsible ones. Don't think I'll be this lenient come Prom." 

Ben silently cursed himself. Prom. Ben didn't have any plans on going but he knew who was dying to go. There was a very good chance that Johnny used this party to ask Poe. Would their mom allow it? Probably not. Even though Ben was the one who hit Johnny's car, she didn't think very highly of Johnny's dad, which could mean she probably didn't think highly of Johnny. Or maybe she would now that Ben was dating Hux, that is, if he could really call it dating at this point.Everything was screwed no thanks to Hux.

When Leia went out to run some errands, Ben went up to Poe to check up on him. When he opened the door, he found his brother curled up on his bed, watching That 70's Show on his laptop while eating a bag of Swedish Fish. He was sipping on some water from the same glass Ben laid out for him last night, with all the ice cubes melted. 

"Hey, you alive?" Ben asked. 

Poe looked up from his screen. He looked a little more well rested. "Barely," said Poe hoarsely. "But somehow not dead." 

"Good, because I just let you off the hook from Mom. You're in the clear to show your face when she gets back." 

"I'm not grounded?" Poe breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh my god, you're a life saver." 

"Actually, Finn and Hux are the life savers," said Ben, plopping himself on Poe's bed while snagging a couple of Swedish Fish. "They're the ones who brought you back to the car in one piece." 

"Can you believe that Finn actually caught me? I could've died last night but Finn was brave and strong enough to catch me and carry me back safe and sound." 

"Finn seems like a really nice guy. One of the few good ones left."

Poe smiled sheepishly. "He's really great, isn't he? Almost wished he had asked me to Prom." 

Ben swallowed his Swedish Fish. "You're going to Prom?" 

"Ben, please don't get upset but Johnny asked me last night and I didn't exactly say no but..." 

"You said yes?" Ben was horrified. "Poe, what is wrong with you? He's a senior for Christ's sake!"

"I didn't say yes either!" Poe huffed, looking back at his laptop. "God, Ben, do you have to be as spastic as Mom? It's like I live in a house full of crazies sometimes." 

Ben got up from the bed and paced around the room for a minute. He didn't want to have to tell him this revelation but Poe needed to know the truth. He was much farther down the rabbit hole than he could've imagined. "Johnny never told you about him and I, did he?"

Poe slammed his laptop shut, his eyes bulging out as he stared at his brother. "What?" 

"Yeah, we dated for two months, the summer before sophomore year." 

"In what universe?? How the hell did you two date and I didn't know about this??" 

"Because you were in Junior High and you gave two shits about that kind of crap!" 

Poe grew quiet, almost forgetting this past life he had before he entered high school. It seemed so long ago. 

"Not to mention, this was during the last days that I was popular," Ben sighed. "But yes, Johnny and I did date at one point. Nobody knew about it, not even Dad. I guess I wanted to date him because any time I was with him, I would forget all the drama that was going on between Mom and Dad. But then when Dad left, shit got real. I was pressured into having sex with him and I said no. It didn't seem right and I wanted someone to be there for me while I dealing with Dad's absence. Of course, Johnny got pissed and he dumped me. Come first day of sophomore year, I was branded as a social pariah and no one wanted to have anything to do with me, now that I wasn't with Johnny. But it was a lesson learned that rather than fight the label, I learned embrace what I was and it's made me who I am today."

Poe furrowed his brows. "Don't you wish you had fought that label though? I mean, I see where you're coming from but I'm not you! I'll never be you!" 

"Didn't you get take anything away from what I said? Johnny is bad news and you know it! You're just too stupid to realize it." 

"Jeez, is this why you didn't fight mom back on her new rule? Because you thought that I was stupid enough to repeat your mistakes? I'm a lot smarter than you think, Ben! I just wished that my own brother could see that!" 

"You're not seriously considering going to Prom with Johnny after everything I said?" 

"Ben, this is my life! You're living your life with Hux, so let me live my life whoever the hell I date!" 

With that,Ben knew that Poe had his mind made up about Johnny. Nothing was going to get through his skull and it was no use trying to convince him otherwise. Ben was done trying to change Poe's mind. His little brother was just going to have to learn the hard way. He tried to help. As Ben left Poe's room, he heard the door slam right behind him, followed by Cry Me A River blasting as loudly as possible. Ben hated when Poe had to resort to Justin Timberlake for when he was pissed.

"What's gotten into him?" Leia asked, startling Ben. He didn't hear his mom come up the stairs, carrying the load of laundry under her arm. 

"Oh, you know, Poe being moody is all," Ben replied, throwing himself onto his bed. 

"You know, I do give the both of you a lot more credit than you think," said Leia, laying out Ben's clothes on his dresser. 

"You heard that?" 

"Honey, I'm not dumb. But the thing you need to realize is that Poe is just as stubborn as you are. You two just show it in different ways. He's gonna come around." 

"You think so?" 

"You're slowly coming for me. Last night with you and Hux, I saw the way you looked relaxed and genuinely happy. I haven't seen you like this since your dad left. Hopefully we get to see more of him, because he brings something out in you I haven't seen in a long time." 

Ben laid down on his bed and sighed. If only Hux didn't try to muddle into things, maybe he'd agree with his mom. As Ben listened to some Father John Misty, he looked out at the window to see Poe sitting out on the porch writing in his journal, deep in thought. Perhaps his mom was right and that Poe would eventually come around to him. But mainly, he didn't want to see his little brother get hurt. He only wished that Poe could see his big brother wanted to protect him. As much as they annoyed the hell out of each other, Ben loved Poe. If Johnny laid a hand on his little brother, that stupid hot rod of his wouldn't be the only that would get wrecked as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Tillman-Father John Misty


	10. Stratford on Guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! It's been a while since I've posted a chapter but I wanted to give myself a mini break to plan out everything before I posted up these last few chapters. It ended up being a lot longer than expected and I do apologize for the very long delay between this chapter and the last one. However, I thank you all for your patience and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter!!

Mondays were usually a buzzkill at Tattooine High. Coming back from the glorious and short weekends were never fun for the students and it seemed that with each passing hour, their youths were being wasted on lessons that those would never have to apply in the real world. But this particular Monday was actually an exciting one. It was the official start of Prom ticket sales. The theme this year was Shakespeare in Love. With the theme announcement and the posters being put up, it was enough to make any student forget that it was Monday. Well, almost any student... 

"So I take it there will be no date number two?" Phasma asked, as she and Ben walked out of third period. "It sounded like you guys were having a good time when you texted me after the show." 

"It would've been fine if Hux hadn't gotten involved in my family drama," Ben sighed, ripping off a Prom poster as he walked. "Of course, Poe has to go and ruin everything because he's a stupid sophomore." 

"Sophomores shouldn't even be allowed at parties. Actually, why do we still throw high school parties?" 

"Because tradition is so antiquated that we, as a society, are incapable of breaking the chains, and therefore are doomed to repeat the mistakes that our forefathers have made. Whether it is drinking jungle juice that is bound to slowly kill our livers, one sip at a time, or sex that is bound to scar us for life, because we cannot control our hormones, we were doomed from the start." 

Phasma stared at Ben, unsure of what planet he was on. "Ben, I love you, but for the love of god, you can be so exhausting. So what happened to Poe?" 

"He's pissed that I told him about Johnny and mine's so-called relationship from three years ago and that I may have jeopardized his plans for Prom." 

"Ah, Prom. Was that a topic of discussion between you and Hux on Saturday?" 

"Nope. I mean, I don't have a reason to go to Prom. Do you?" 

"Well, I kind of want to go..." 

Ben stopped dead in his tracks as Phasma walked ahead of him, fetching her books for forth period from her locker. He was stunned. Where was this sudden interest in Prom coming from? Yes, Phasma was always the more positive one who had to bring Ben back down to Earth, but he never pegged her as a "Prom type". Perhaps he was going about this dated high school ritual all wrong. 

"Wait," said Ben, catching up to Phasma. "You actually want to go?" 

Phasma shrugged, shutting her locker. "Look, I know it's not 'our scene', per say, but I think it'd be fun to get dressed up and dance like idiots with our fellow peers. You should really think about it. Who knows, Ben, you might even have fun!" 

Ben leaned against Phasma's locker as she went to her class. So they got her too, he thought. The cult of Prom was taking over his class and there was no escaping it. It started off quiet back in Januray but as the date got closer, it overtook any important school news. Today, it had reached it's maximum hype with the announcement of ticket sales starting. All the posters and banners were hung from every corner and hallway. There were even posters inside the boy's bathroom! It wasn't like Ben could rip down every poster he came across, but he could certainly try. Was anyone not immune to Prom-hysteria? 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, which one of you squares is going to the Prom?" Hux asked at lunch. 

Rey, Finn, and Mitaka looked at one another, surprised by the topic of discussion. 

"Well," Rey cleared her throat. "As you may know, Sophomores aren't typically invited to the Prom. Very rarely do they go but for me, I'm not interested unless someone were to ask me. Then maybe I would reconsider." 

"Fuck that," Mitaka dismissed. "The music is a drag and the chaperones are squares. Who wants to know?" 

Hux sighed. "I just...was wondering. No reason." 

Finn gasped. "Are you taking Ben to the Prom?" 

"No!" Hux snapped. The others were startled as Hux took a deep breath to recollect himself. "I mean, I don't know if we're going is all..." 

"What did you do?" Mitaka and Rey asked. 

"What makes you two think I did something wrong?" 

"Because I was walking out of third period when I saw Ben hanging out with his friend, Phasma, and it sounded like you were sticking your nose into some family business that you shouldn't have been," said Rey, doodling in her notebook. 

"Oh my god, you dumb ass!" Mitaka cried out. 

"Why would you do that?" asked Finn, slightly annoyed. "Everything was going well for you and now we might be back to square one!" 

"Hey, I thought you were done with this?" asked Hux. 

"I thought I was, but then we kissed that night and well..." Finn's voice trailed off as he blushed, thinking back to how he saved Poe from death and carried him valiantly into the car so that he was safe and sound. To put the icing on top, Poe totally checked him out on their way to lunch today. They were stealing small glances from each other as they sat from opposite ends of the cafeteria.

Hux smiled, surprised that things were starting to turn around for Finn. "So does that mean you two are going to Prom together?" 

"Um...well..." 

Rey slammed her notebook shut and rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, how can you two be such morons?!?!" 

Finn and Hux stared at Rey blankly. Even Mitaka stopped what he was doing. 

"You two are truly daft," Rey groaned. "Finn, you have to ask Poe to the Prom now! Yes, Johnny may be out sick today, but if there is a chance that he didn't ask Poe already, you need to make your move! We've done what we can to set this up and now it's go time! Same for you, Hux. You fucked up and have to apologize to Ben." 

"Apologize with a pair of Prom tickets?" Hux scoffed. "Like that's going to fix things. Ben has no desire to go. Why can't I just make it up with a nice date?" 

"Because we say so!" said Finn and Rey. 

"I'm with them on this," said Mitaka. "Dammit Armie, just get your head out of your ass and admit you were at fault. You pissed Ben off by butting into personal shit that wasn't your business. Once you say sorry, he'll be all over you like he was on Saturday."

Hux rolled his eyes. This relationship was getting to be more expensive than he anticipated. He certainly didn't see himself to truly fall for Ben but if that was going to make wrongs right, Hux was willing to go into uncharted territory. 

"However," Mitaka paused for a second. "I will say that as fun as it has been taking money from our resident male model, buying your way into an apology is not always the best fix. Just remember that when you think about your Prom-posal." 

"Aw, fuck," Hux sighed. "A Prom-posal? Like the stupid rich kids in the O.C. do on Instagram? That's a sure fire way to waste your money." 

"Technically, it's Johnny's money," Finn corrected him gently. 

"I'm not renting out a white horse and riding into Ben's class. That's just stupid." 

"Ben doesn't strike me as a 'horse guy,'" said Rey. 

"Well, if you don't want to rent out a horse, then figure something else out,"Mitaka chimed in. "First, you have to apologize to Ben. Admit you were in the wrong and that you overstepped your boundaries. Enough time has passed that hopefully he'll listen to what you have to say. Just let him be right." 

Finn was paying no mind to Hux's dilemma, as he watched Poe walked away from his table. Poe looked more sad than when he sat down at his table, Finn noticed. He wondered if either Poe was faking being happy to him when they saw each other earlier in the day or if something else was bothering him entirely. Finn slowly got up from his seat, excusing himself from the table. He came up to Poe, who was finishing up with cleaning his tray off in the garbage can. 

"Hey," Finn greeted. "You okay?" 

Poe was startled, almost dropping his entire tray in the trash. "Finn! Hi, sorry. I was just..." 

Poe couldn't think of the words. He stood there as Finn patiently waited for him to continue his thought. 

"Finn, I've got a problem: Johnny asked me to go to Prom with him on Saturday night. At first, I was so excited about it. You know, going to Prom with the most popular senior. But then Ben put a lot of things into perspective for me last night. Even though I yelled at him about how I live my life the way I want to, Ben was really looking out after me. You know, like how Hux and all of them look out for you!" 

Finn nodded his head in agreement, but was also pleasantly surprised to see Poe see things logically. 

"But it wasn't until this morning I was sharing my torn feelings with Jessika that she completely disregarded my stress for the fact that Johnny may not be what he's cracked up to be! I mean, I could've died on Saturday night, but you saved me, Poe! You made sure that I got back in the car safe, and Hux was a responsible adult who brought both my brother and I home! Hell, he came over to my house before he took Ben to see Greta Van Fleet and my mom was impressed with him! Impressed with the guy that probably stole The Edge's guitar, but nonetheless! And it just got me thinking about some things, like if Johnny were to come over to pick me up for Prom, how would that go down? I mean, you saw the way he left me hanging that night." 

Finn shook his head. "You don't deserve that. You can do a hell of a lot better than 98% of the male population in this school. Do what's best for you." 

Poe smiled. "I'm so glad you agree with me! Because I wanted to ask, Finn, will you go to Prom with me?"

Finn was in shock. This was his big moment. He didn't care that he didn't get to ask Poe himself. It actually took off so much pressure into putting together a Prom-posal. Before he could say "yes", there was a splat that could be heard from across the room. Everyone's eyes were directed at Hux, who had chocolate pudding running down his hair and smashed peas smeared all over his black t-shirt. Standing not too far from him was Phasma, her mouth wide open, and marching away from the scene of the crime was Ben. As he watched his older brother leave the cafeteria, Poe went to follow him, dragging Finn along for the ride.

"What are we doing?" Finn asked, looking over his shoulder as he saw Rey and Mitaka come to his Hux's aide. "Shouldn't we be helping Hux?" 

"We can help him later," said Poe. "Right now we have an ass to kick!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stratford on Guy-Liz Phair


	11. Liability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! I want to thank everyone for continuing to read this story. I know life tends to get hectic and I have no control of what the universe throws at me but I would just like to say that seeing you all leave a kudos or anything means so much more than you think. Without further ado, the latest chapter!

"Okay," Amilyn Holdo sighed. "From the beginning, why are you all in here? I know two of you come in here on a semi-regular basis but how the hell did the rest of you end up in my office?" 

It was kind of a funny story how Ben, Poe, Finn, Hux, Rey, Phasma, Mitaka, and Jessika all ended up in Ms. Holdo's office. The whole fight went down right before the bell for homeroom rang. Poe and Finn tracked down Ben so that Poe could knock some sense into his older brother. After seeing poor Hux get humiliated in front of the whole cafeteria, Poe was fuming. So he and Finn followed Ben to his locker for some confrontation. When talking didn't work, Poe pushed his brother into the locker and started to yell at him about how he was sick and tired of Ben's piss poor attitude and how everything managed to get back to him. Soon the brothers began to slap each other and Finn had to get in between them to stop. As Finn tried to get Poe to relax, Phasma and Jessika came rushing in to see what all the fuss was going on, not knowing that Rey, Mitaka, and Hux weren't far behind. Pulling away their respective friends as Finn stepped away from the heated moment, Poe had one last dig in him that completely set off Ben. Everyone was shocked, even Jessika couldn't believe what came out of Poe's mouth. In that moment, Ben came charging at Poe, knocking him down to the ground, and unfortunately, taking Jessika down as well. As the two of them wrestled each other down to the ground, Rey, Mitaka, and Hux came just in time to see the madness that was going down. Meanwhile, Finn and Phasma help pull Jessika, making sure that she wasn't too hurt. Rey and Mitaka tried their hand at separating the brothers but somehow got involved in the scuffle and then one thing led to another, Jessika pulled the fire alarm just to get everyone to stop fighting. All this went down in a matter of five minutes and it took the principal 30 seconds to find the eight of them at the scene of the crime. As they tried to explain to the principal everything that happened, he sent them all off to Ms. Holdo's office to work everything out.

Everyone looked around at each other, wondering who would be the first to speak. Ben glanced at his brother from the side, wondering if he was going to take any blame for what went down. Meanwhile, Poe was thinking the exact same, while everyone else just wanted to get out of there and just take whatever cruel and unusual punishment Ms. Holdo had for them. 

"Can I say something?" Poe asked, after what felt like an hour of uncomfortable silence. 

"Here we go," Ben muttered under his breath. 

"I'm not entirely sure as to why you have everybody gathered in this room," Poe continued. "I mean, this all started with my brother, who clearly has a vendetta for everyone that looks at him funny! The culprit is literally sitting right in front of you!" 

"You're not innocent!" Ben argued. "You're the one who started to attack me at my locker!" 

"I would've won if you weren't so big!" 

"You should've just minded your own business and we all wouldn't have been dragged into this!" 

"Because everything that you do is my business! Have you not realized that by now? Everything you say and do gets relayed back to me!" 

"I stay as far away from your business, now why can't you do the same?" 

"That's not true!" 

"Boys, boys!" Holdo shushed. "Clearly you both have some deeper issues going on that maybe you need to be resolved in your home base." She looked over at the rest of the group, who were feeling awkward and uncomfortable to be involved with the family drama. "I guess I should ask why the rest of you were all there as well." 

"Ms. Holdo, with all due respect," said Finn, clearing his throat. "I came with Poe for moral support and I did what I could to keep the peace between Poe and Ben." 

"What peace?" Jessika snorted. "They were going at it like a couple of cats fighting over the last bit of catnip as soon as I got there." 

"I tried to do what I could," Finn snapped, trying to maintain his composure. "I didn't want to get involved with their fighting." 

"And no one is blaming you," Phasma pipped up, defending Finn's innocence. "You did nothing wrong."

"Okay, since we've agreed that Finn is innocent," said Poe, "can we please focus on the point at hand that my brother is guilty in all of this?" 

"He's not guilty of everything," said Rey. "Jessika pulled the fire alarm." 

Jessika gasped. "How could you?" 

"Oh, come on! Justice must be served!" 

"I'll deal with that later," Holdo sighed. "Ben, why did you dump your food all over Armitage?" 

"He offended me," said Ben matter of factually. 

Hux threw his hands up in the air and scoffed. "How the hell did I offend you?" 

"You called me an irrational crybaby!" Ben turned from his seat. 

"You wouldn't take my apology!" 

"That was some half assed attempt at an apology! You only said it so you could weasel your way into asking me to Prom." 

"Well, I guess we all know what the answer to that question is," Mitaka muttered under his breath, as hid in the corner of the room. 

"Poe, I accept your invitation to the Prom!" Finn declared. 

Poe looked at Finn wide eyed, unsure of why he was now accepting his invitation, but also delighted. 

"You do?" Poe asked hesitantly as he got up from his seat to hug Finn. "Oh my god, Finn, I'm so happy!" 

"Oh cripes," Jessika rolled her eyes. "You'll fall for anyone's bullshit." 

Poe looked at her with confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

Jessika gulped, realizing she might have said too much. "Nothing." 

"You said something, Jessika, say it!" 

Jessika breathed in. "Well, since you're rejecting Johnny's prom-posal, I guess it's a good thing because he only wanted to take you so that he could nail you." 

Poe was frozen, the color completely drained from his face as he stood there in shock. 

"Yeah," Jessika continued. "In fact, there's been a whole thing going on between Johnny, Hux, Rey, and Finn that involves you and Ben." 

Poe stayed silent but then Ben was looking around the room, giving everyone a deathly stare as he gritted through his teeth. "What...the fuck?" 

"Shit," Hux cursed himself silently. 

"Okay, so bear with me Holdo," Jessika sighed. "Long story short, Johnny paid Hux to take out Ben because he is undateable by society's standards, so that Johnny would get to nail Poe. Finn also likes Poe but Johnny tried to push him away, even though he and Rey were the ones who plucked Hux out of obscurity and were all, 'just pay Hux to take Ben out, we don't care!' Anyway, it's all one big mess. All because their mom has literally no control! I mean, her husband left her so she felt the need to control her boys, and look where that led us!" 

Holdo just shook her head, trying to process everything in, while everyone else shifted around, feeling uncomfortable in the room. Jessika looked over at Poe, who looked like he was about to cry. She didn't want to be the one who shared this but somehow, deep in her cold heart, Poe needed to know the truth. It was a painful truth and Poe felt so ashamed that he thought he stood a real chance with Johnny at one point. He held back any tears he had for Johnny, as that was all in the past. There was no need to cry over rats, Poe thought to himself. 

While Poe was doing what he could to compose himself, Ben looked as if he was about to self destruct. As he slowly got up from his seat, he turned to Hux, avoiding all eye contact with everyone in the room. He felt as if he was shrinking as Ben got closer to him. Hux was praying that a bus could come barrelling through this room and run him over. This was all a disaster. 

"You were paid to take me out?" Ben growled. "How the fuck could you?" 

"I'm sorry," Hux croaked, with sincerity. "I shouldn't have...I never..." 

"You're even more despicable than Johnny could ever be." 

Ben didn't give Hux a chance to explain himself. Instead, he marched right out of Holdo's room. Phasma and Poe followed him out immediately, leaving the rest of them to sit in awkward silence. Holdo rubbed her temples, wondering where the hell she went wrong with her career in guidance counseling. 

"So," said Rey, breaking the silence, "does this mean that we're all off the hook?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liability-Lorde


	12. Modern Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that last chapter was something else...Hello!! New chapter is here. As always, thanks again for all your support and continuing to read this story. Feel free to comment on what you think of it!!

"Guys are so stupid," Poe sighed, digging into his bibimbap. "Maybe we are doomed to be single for the rest of our lives." 

Ben shrugged, stirring his kimchi. "If that's the worst thing to happen, then things can't get much worse." 

Poe sat there quietly with his older brother as the two of them watched old reruns of That 70's Show. When their dad was still around, he would sometimes get Ben and Poe Korean food from their neighbor's restaurant, while their mom was working late at the hospital, and the three of them would watch TV. Today had been such a crapshoot of a day that Ben convinced his brother to ditch the rest of the day. So the two of them went to their neighborhood Korean restaurant and they holed themselves up in Ben's room, watching their show. It was the perfect remedy. 

"Thanks for the bibimbap again," said Poe. "I think we both needed this." 

"I wholeheartedly agree," said Ben with his mouth full. 

Poe pursed his lips and sighed. "I still can't believe you pulled me out of class and did all this for me, especially after the way I've been acting towards you. I really should've listened to you about Johnny, about everything." 

"Don't worry about it," said Ben. "I haven't been the easiest either." 

Poe raised his eyebrows but let this one slide. "I'm serious. Finding out about Johnny's bet really hurt and you only wanted to protect me. While you can't protect me from everything bad that happens to me, I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you and I'm sorry that I said I wished you weren't my brother earlier too. That was a low blow, even for me. I hope you know that I do love you and I only said that out of frustration. I guess Mom was right about fighting never resolving any problems."

"I forgive you, Poe," said Ben, giving his brother a side hug. "Even though you drive me insane with your need to be popular, I still love you too. I'm sorry I tried to control you the way Mom controls us. It's just...I feel like I haven't had any sort of control over my life since Dad left. Maybe that's really why I am this way." 

"Maybe that's why we are the way we are," Poe agreed. "I guess you can always start your life over when you go to NYU. Isn't that what college is for?" 

Ben scoffed. "Like Mom's ever going to agree to letting me go." 

"Sure she will," said Ben. "After all, it's been your dream. You and Phasma will get to live ultra-cool hipster lives in Brooklyn, wake up in your cool lofts, studying film or whatever artsy fartsy degree you're going after, while you finally make Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren a reality!" 

Ben had to laugh at the hyper imaginative New York world that his younger brother curated. Not because it was true, but because it involved the one-time family band in this fantasy. 

"You think I could actually regroup the Knights of Ren?" Ben asked. 

Poe nodded. "I think you should. You were always more into it than I was. Dad loved it a lot and I think there's a huge part of you that wants to revive it. Even if it sucks, I still think you should keep something of Dad alive. Why do you think I have his jacket?"

Suddenly, Ben's cold heart began to defrost, hearing his brother's admission for missing their Dad. Between the two of them, Ben took it the hardest when their Dad left and it was Poe who kept a stoic face through the ordeal. Back then, Ben had wondered if his younger brother even cared that he wasn't around. But hearing that validation brought the brothers much closer than they had been in a long time. 

"Now I understand," Ben nodded, smiling. 

There was a brief moment of silence between the brothers. Whether it was for their Dad, wherever he was right now, or for their renewed love for one another, Ben and Poe felt great content in this moment, after hashing out some feelings and all apologies were said and done. It was truly the start of something new. 

Just then, the doorbell rang. They hadn't been paying attention to the time. When they looked at the alarm clock in Ben's room, it was already 3:12pm. School had just been let out, so perhaps it was the mailman with a package. 

"I better get that," Poe excused himself, taking his garbage. "I bet it's those cactus plants she ordered from that hippie woman on Etsy."

"Ugh, why does she keep buying those plants?" Ben groaned, following behind. "You need to stop her from turning my room into a greenhouse when I go away to school." 

"I'll try!" 

The doorbell was ringing repeatedly when Poe made it down the stairs. No mailman would be repeatedly ringing their bell this many times. If it was Johnny or Hux coming by with a weak ass apology, Poe wasn't going to have any of it. When he swung the door open, he was pleasantly surprised to see who was there.

Jessika and Finn stood awkwardly on the front porch, keeping a healthy distance between them. Poe was surprised to see them both, especially together. He didn't know whether to be angry with them after the events that transpired earlier or not. He certainly wasn't expecting them to make an appearance at his place so soon. He wondered if Rey was nearby. When Ben came down, he saw who was at the door and quietly made his way into the kitchen, knowing this was a matter for his brother to handle. If Hux was with them, he certainly had no interest. 

"Jessika," said Poe calmly. "Finn. Nice to see you both, I guess." 

"Poe, may we come in?" Jessika asked. "We feel we need to explain ourselves. About everything."

Poe hesitated, seeing the two of them together was strange, but if they came out here for reason, he should listen. 

"Sure," Poe nodded. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take long for the two of them to explain everything that had been going on between Johnny and Hux, with Finn further explaining how they managed to get Johnny involved with Hux in the first place and Jessika overhearing Johnny brag about his prom plans with one of his bros from other room. As they were explaining themselves, Ben passed through the room, hearing bits and pieces about Hux as he laid out some drinks for the guests, disappearing into the living room. Poe listened to them intently, catching only a quick glance of his brother leaving the kitchen. 

"I'm really sorry that you got mixed up in this mess," Finn apologized. "I knew that Johnny had something up his sleave but I had no clue he had a secret bet going on with his friends about Prom involving you. I just wished I never had him involved in the first place. Rey and I weren't thinking." 

"I'm sorry I ditched you that night after Johnny's party," said Jessika. "I wanted to tell you about it then but then Johnny swooped in and took you to his room and I just...I wasn't thinking of your safety that night. I haven't been a good friend to you and I'm sorry." 

Poe bit his lip and looked at the two of them for a moment. "You know, it means a lot to me that you two even came by to tell me in person. I appreciate you both being honest with me. It's gonna take some time for me to fully trust you two again, but I do forgive you." 

"We understand," said Jessika. "I'm sorry you both had to find out about everything this way." 

"Well, I kind of knew about Johnny before. Turns out he and my brother dated a couple years ago." 

"Ew, seriously? Your brother used to be popular?" 

"It's a long, weird story." 

Jessika and Finn said nothing more as they sipped their iced teas. Finn couldn't picture Johnny and Ben being together. It seemed too unnatural. 

"Anywho," Jessika cleared her throat. "I should be going now. I left your homework on the couch in the living room and just text if you need any help." 

"Thanks again," said Poe. "I really appreciate you coming over." 

As soon as Jessika left the room, it was just Finn and Poe alone in the kitchen. It wasn't long as Ben came in to grab a Coke from the fridge. 

"Ben?" Finn called out. 

Ben leaned against the fridge door and looked up at Finn. After all the stories that he had heard, Finn had never seen Ben look more human than being in their kitchen. To think, people were afraid of Ben. Hell, Finn was at once frightened by Ben's demeanor, but he was just as much of a person as anyone else was. 

"Ben," Finn swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Johnny in the first place. I just...I was so selfish. I fell for your brother and was willing to do whatever it took to get to know him. From faking French lessons to hiring Johnny as a backer so that Hux could take you out, I got in over my head and wasn't thinking of the people that I was hurting along the way. You deserve to be loved for who you are, not just because someone tells you to. I took that away from you and I am sorry." 

Ben was stunned. Here was this young sophomore, who probably didn't know any better with the wacky situation he got himself involved in, being the bigger person and taking full responsibility for the repercussions that went down. All because he had a crush on Poe. He really went through all that trouble. Now, it just got everyone into one giant mess and people were coming to apologize to Poe (which was also the right thing to do), but to have this kid, who he barely knew, apologize to him, Ben had a newfound respect for this young man. 

Ben simply said, "Thank you," and left the kitchen without another word. 

Poe didn't know what to say. Finn wasn't the only one involved in this but he had a lot of guts to own up to Ben. There was a lot more respect for him. 

"Wow," said Poe. "That's was really big of you to apologize to my brother. You know, he may have only said two words, but it means so much more to him than you think." 

Finn shrugged, finishing off his iced tea. "I just wanted to do the right thing for once. It's like ever since I came here, I haven't been doing anything right and I want to start doing that now. Starting with you, only if you want to. I'm not sure if you're still mad at me about all the crazy shit that went down." 

"Aw, Finn," cooed Poe. "I forgive you for everything. I mean, I kind of had a feeling that you liked me and you wanted to help my brother out, even if it did come crashing down. We can fix it though! But I really would like a fresh start for you and me. Starting now." 

"So does that mean you still want to go to the Prom together?" 

"Finn, of course I still want to go with you." 

"Okay, good, because otherwise, I was going to try to dance my way into an apology for Prom with this." 

Finn ran out of the kitchen and came back holding a small boombox in his hand. He set it down on the kitchen table and hit the play button. It was a familiar 80's tune that Poe could've sworn his Dad played for him at one point. Once the vocals kicked in, he looked up to see Finn was doing an awkward dance, lip syncing along to David Bowie. Poe smiled, trying to stifle his giggles. Finn looked so carefree dancing to Bowie. Finn extended his hand out to Poe, pulling him up from his seat. Poe was startled at first, not sure of how to dance, but he let Finn take the lead and soon, he got on the right foot. The two of them danced away their worries and their troubles all around the kitchen table, as if David Bowie had intended them to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modern Love-David Bowie


	13. We Can Work It Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY COW WE'RE NEARING THE END?!?!?!?!  
> Yes, at least two more chapters to go! But fear not! I will make sure to give this the proper send off that this fic deserves! I hope you all enjoy and thank you once again for your continued support!!

"Is someone going to explain to me why we're all here?" asked Phasma. "I mean, all I got was this weird text this morning from Hux to come meet with him and he's not here. I'm a little nervous."

"Beats me," Finn replied, his arm draped around Poe's shoulder. "I haven't spoken to him since we all got sent to the principal's office. Now he wants us all to meet him for something super important? I'd be worried too." 

"I'm just surprised you came," said Poe. "I mean, I want to give Hux the benefit of the doubt, but I also secretly want to kick his ass." 

"Well, that makes two of us," Phasma agreed, taking a sip of her Coke. 

It was the Sunday before Prom. Phasma, Poe, and Finn met up at the local diner that was down the street from their school, per the morning text the three of them received from Hux. None of them had talked to Hux since the incident in Ms. Holdo's office days prior and he seemed to be carrying on with his days as if nothing had happened. For Ben, he was happy to not have any further contact with Hux. For the rest of them involved, there were some mixed feelings to be had. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

There was a divide between everyone involved in the mess. Some wanted Hux and Ben to get back together, while others thought the two were better off without each other. Johnny was just pissed that not only did Poe turn him down for Prom, but that Hux had called off the entire bet. Johnny tried to bribe him with more money to convince Ben to go to the Prom but Hux refused. He was begging on his knees to get him to fix everything but Hux had enough. 

"I don't give a fuck that he's not going with you," Hux snapped, after taking a long drag of his cigarette. "I'm sure this is hard for you to comprehend with your thick skull, but people got hurt along the way! I hurt someone I really cared about because I got greedy and foolish. You don't deserve a guy like Poe anyway." 

Johnny was furious. He wanted to smack Hux so hard, but it wasn't worth getting into a fight. So Johnny let him be and secretly began to plot revenge on whomever stole Poe away from him. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Hey, do you think Johnny has any idea about me?" Finn asked, looking around for Hux. "I mean, I know he's dumb, but I'm also very afraid of him." 

"Finn, you have nothing to worry about," Poe reassured. "I'm sure he's forgotten about it by now." 

"Poe, he's gonna find out eventually," said Phasma. "What did you tell him?" 

"I told him I was going with someone else from a different school." 

"What?" Phasma and Finn cried out. 

"Hey, if I had said Finn was taking me, Johnny would've come for his head!" 

"Great, now I really need to sleep with one eye open," Finn grumbled.

Poe turned his head when he heard the door open to see Rey and Jessika walking in together. The girls joined the others in the booth, smiling sheepishly at everyone as they sat down. 

"Anyone know if Hux is going to show up?" Phasma asked the group. "I thought he'd be here by now." 

"He's not here?" Rey asked. "I hope he didn't bail on us." 

"I can't see him just flaking like that," said Jessika. "We have to give him a little credit." 

"I only want to give him the bare minimum amount of credit," said Poe. "He hurt my brother and he has to pay somehow. Phasma, punch him in the face for me if he's more than 10 minutes late." 

"Uh, why do I have to be the one to punch him?" 

"Because I would ask Finn, but he's a lover and not a fighter!" Poe smiled at Finn. "Plus, I dunno, you probably could do it out of the rest of us, maybe." 

Phasma rolled her eyes, shaking her head as the rest of the table chuckled. She was going to let Poe have this one this time, though really she wasn't much of a fighter herself. Just then, the door swung open and everyone looked up to see who had arrived. 

Poor Hux looked like he hadn't slept in days. His red hair looked more of an unruly mess than normal and there was a 50% that the shirt he was wearing was not clean. Phasma was glad that his clothes matched this time, for the couple of times that she'd seen him in the halls, it appeared that he forgot that not everything goes with red corduroy pants. So seeing Hux dressed in his usual all black was nice for change. Following close behind him was Mitaka, scoping out for the rest of the gang. Rey waved them over as everyone made some room in the booth. It was a little too close for comfort by the time everyone was seated.

"So, this is cozy," Hux mumbled, making awkward eye contact with everyone in the group. 

"Could be worse," said Jessika, trying to make pleasant conversation. "At least we're not all on the floor or something." 

"So you wanted to see all of us?" Phasma asked Hux, arms folded. 

Hux took a deep breath as he scanned the crowd. He had been avoiding some of them like the plague since his bet with Johnny was revealed. Rey and Jessika were the only ones who gave him any form of sympathy. Finn, to a lesser extent, gave Hux the benefit of the doubt that Hux was being malicious. Everyone else was more hesitant to trust Hux. He didn't blame them for hating his guts. He was starting to finally realize that he was a pretty big asshole.

"Guys, I fucked up," Hux sighed. "I fucked up with trying to get close to Ben, lying to Ben, and just everything in between. I swear, he's been on my mind this whole time and I realize that I screwed up something pure and I need your guys' help. That's why I asked you all here today. Because I'm sorry for getting everyone one of you involved in this stupid mess. Johnny can fuck off for all I care and I hope he gets his just desserts too. I know that you'd all rather be somewhere else than sitting here listening to me talk, but the fact that you're all here, well, it means something to me. I just hope that you can all forgive me or set your differences about me aside and help me out."

Everyone looked at each other for a moment, with Hux giving everyone a moment to speak their peace. Not everyone knew that Hux had told Johnny off and, for that, they gave him credit. If there was one thing everyone could agree on, it was that Johnny was the absolute worst who had his just desserts coming for him. Because the difference between him and Hux was that Hux was willing to admit his faults. It took guts and that made Hux more of a man than Johnny could ever be.

"I forgive you," said Poe. "I mean, I thought it was so cool that a guy like Johnny was into me but after what my brother, Jessika, and everyone else told me about him, I realize that I was stupid to think he genuinely had feelings for me. He was just a huge waste of time and I'm glad you don't associate with him anymore. Or any of us for that matter!" 

"Amen to that," John said in agreement. 

"Well, as shitty as it was to even have Johnny pay you to take my friend out," Phasma sighed. "I will say that it takes a lot of cajones to stand up to Johnny. So as long as this doesn't involve him, I guess I will help you with whatever hair-brained scheme you have to win back Ben." 

"We'll all help you," said Jessika, with everyone else nodding their heads in agreement. "I mean, you brought us all together so just tell us what you had in mind."

"Wait, you all really will help me?" Hux asked, almost hesitantly. 

"Of course we will!" said Rey cheerfully. "I mean, we always knew that deep down, deep, deep in the depths of that cold black hardened heart of yours, there was some good in you!" 

Hux rolled his eyes as Mitaka snickered. "Anyway, I need to know if anyone here knows how to play an instrument." 

Poe gasped. "Oh my god, you're going to serenade my brother? That is so romantic, like West Side Story! And yes, I can play guitar." 

Finn raised his hand. "I can play the bass guitar." 

"I'm pretty good with the drums," said Phasma. 

"Perfect!" exclaimed Hux. "I know how to play the keys so this is good. That went a lot better than expected." 

"What do you need the rest of us to do?" asked Rey, pointing at Jessika and Mitaka. 

"That's easy," said Hux. "First, I'm gonna need a stage. Next, I'm gonna need access to the school keys." 

"What is it that you plan on pulling off exactly?" asked Jessika. 

"If all goes well, I'm gonna give Ben the show of a lifetime." 

"You're not planning on getting naked for this, are you?" asked Mitaka. 

Everyone stared at Mitaka blankly, wondering where he'd get such a thought and why that was the first thing to come out of his mouth. 

"No Mitaka, there will be no nudity," Hux replied. "Look, as long as we practice every day up until the day of Prom learning this one song and we're able to get a stage, I think this plan will work." 

"But what if this doesn't work?" asked Phasma. "What if Ben doesn't want to forgive you and wants you to drop dead?" 

"Then at least I tried." 

Phasma smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Alright, I guess we're really doing this." 

"So there will be no sort of nudity whatsoever?" Mitaka asked. 

"NO!" everyone yelled, throwing their fries at Mitaka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We Can Work It Out-The Beatles


	14. You're the Best Thing About Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the night we've all been waiting for: PROM!!! It's the penultimate chapter and I hope you all enjoy it! As always, I hope you all enjoy this latest update and thank you, once again, for continuing to read this story!!

It was the night that everyone had been waiting for. Well, almost everyone had been waiting for. Prom had officially arrived. It was a brisk Friday afternoon in May and Leia had taken the day off to shuttle her boys around from place to place in preparation for the big dance. There was so much that had to be done, from picking up the tuxes to picking up the corsages, there was even a special trip to the salon to trim their hair.

"I don't see why we have to go," Ben sighed. "It's just gonna be gross and sweaty in the gym anyway." 

"I want you to have nice hair for your graduation at least!" said Leia. "So we better get your hair cut now."

Ben didn't know why he agreed to go to the Prom in the first place. It wasn't like he was going with a date. Originally, Phasma twisted his arm long enough that he agreed to go with her "for one last high school hoorah," as she eloquently put it. But when Poe found out that Ben really was going to attend the Prom, he set up a huge group that consisted of him, his brother, Phasma, Rey, Jessika, and Finn. It was the perfect cover and all Poe could hope for was that Hux would come through on his part of the plan.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Hux, Phasma, Finn, and Poe had spent all week practicing their song. It was an odd choice when he told everyone what he wanted to play for Ben. 

"A U2 song?" Poe asked, when Hux first told them. "Is it because of that rumor that's been going around about how you sold one of your organs on the black market for a pair of front row tickets to see them?" 

"As much as I love them, no," Hux replied. "As you'll learn time and time again, you can't believe every rumor you hear. I just happen to like this song that's not some mushy pop contrived garbage that plagues our radios on a daily basis. Now, enough talk. We've got a lot of work to do."

And so they practiced. At first, they couldn't find a way to all sound cohesive as Poe was the only one who had any prior experience playing in a band. But soon they all learned how to play off of each other. It was a lot of quick learning on everyone's part, as they only had a week to set this whole plan into motion. 

Meanwhile, Rey, Jessika, and Mitaka had to think of a way to get the band a stage, away from the Prom preferably. The three of them were hanging out on the tennis courts at lunch, while the others were back inside talking about band practice. It was a beautiful day to be pondering such shenanigans as the three of them debated on letting the band actually play at Prom. 

"Why can't they have an audience?" Jessika asked. "We could easily just overtake the stage in the gym and no one will have to know it was us." 

"Because if this plan fails, it's better we keep Hux's humiliation on the DL," Mitaka replied. "So no big audience." 

"We also have to consider Ben's feelings as well," Rey added. "I'm sure he'd hate to have the majority of the school population watching him as Hux serenades him. Plus, with Holdo chaperoning, she's probably going to be watching us like a hawk." 

"Ugh, I forgot she's chaperoning," Jessika groaned. "Okay, so no gym. Have we considered the lunch court? It's a good distance away from the gym." 

"Nowhere for us to plug in the equipment," said Mitaka. 

"The parking lot?" Rey suggested. 

"It's gonna be filled with cars that night. Who knows how many will be taking those oversized Hummer limos?" 

Jessika pondered for a moment until a lightbulb lit up in her head. "Why not the football field?" 

Rey and Mitaka turned their heads to look out at the football field, a good 10 minute walk from the tennis courts, and then back at Jessika. 

"Think about it, it's much further from everything else at the school. Rey, surely you can pull some strings with the AV department to allow us to use the sound equipment to set up all the amps. Not to mention, Mitaka, isn't it the site of where Ben and Hux first met and realized, they were meant to be?" 

Rey and Mitaka looked at each other for a moment. She made a couple of good points. Their impressions had changed of Jessika ever since they all started to hang out together. Gone was this vapid, airhead that they once knew her to be and now, she was much more pleasant and fun to be around with. Rey could even see herself calling Jessika a friend. 

"Excellent points have been made," said Mitaka, getting out of his seat. "We can use the field as the stage. Takes out the labor of making a stage, thank god. Rey, whoever you need to ask for a favor, can it be done?" 

"Of course!" Rey smiled. "I've got some good friends who owe me a favor or two." 

"Great! I suggest we all take a trip to the football field and get ourselves a lay of the land, shall we?" 

Rey shrugged. "We're already in enough trouble with being out here during lunch hour. Might as well make the most of this." 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, now I want a picture of just the guys!" Leia squealed, motioning everyone to huddle together. "Okay, now, SMILE! Ben, stop scowling. Oh, dammit, Poe wasn't looking in that one. We're gonna have to take it again." 

Poe and Ben looked at each other with boredom. Their mother had done nothing but take pictures for the past 15 minutes since everyone arrived at their house. At this rate, they were going to be running late to the Prom. Ben just wanted to get this night done and over with, while Poe just wanted to make sure everything was still on schedule. Poe could see Rey and Jessika were dropping some subtle hints that they needed to wrap things up with picture time. Poe wasn't looking at his mom again so that meant another round of pictures. She had to have at least 30 pictures of him, Finn, and Ben making the same pose and faces, Poe thought. 

"Okay, I think I got everything!" Leia announced. She checked her watch and gasped when she read the time. "Oh my gosh, why didn't you boys tell me you were going to be late?" 

"You've been playing papparazi since everyone got here!" Ben argued. 

"I'm sorry for wanting to remember such a wonderful night!" Leia turned to everyone else and smiled. "You kids have fun! Remember, no drugs, no booze, no sex, and no satanic rituals. Boys, take these before you go." 

As everyone else waved goodbye to Leia and walked to the limo, Leia handed Ben and Poe something small in their hands. When they opened their hands, their faces turned to disgust. 

"MOM!" Poe cried out, showing her the condoms she gave him. "Can you SERIOUSLY not do this now?" 

"It's for your own good. For both of you. Now go!" 

Poe dropped his condoms into Ben's hands and ran off to join the others in the limo. As Ben grumbled to himself, shoving the unnecessary condoms in his pocket, he felt his mom tap him on his shoulder. 

"I know you'd rather be elsewhere tonight," Leia sighed. "Especially after what happened between you and Hux." 

Ben rolled his eyes at the mention of the last person he'd like to be thinking about. 

"But I just want you to know that I really appreciate what you're doing for your brother. It's nice to see you both getting along and just know...he appreciates you. I appreciate how much you care for him." 

Ben silently nodded and hugged his mom tightly. She was surprised at how warm and loving her oldest son was being. It was a nice change as she returned the hug. As he let go of her, Leia watched Ben join the rest of his friends in the limo. She waited until the limo had pulled out of the driveway before she went back into the house. It was a strange feeling for her not to feel any sort of worry for either of her sons. The past few weeks for them have been somewhat transformative and it gave her comfort to see them finally be content. It was the first time in a long time either of them had been at a certain peace with themselves and now, so was she. Perhaps she felt as though they didn't need to be so restricted and with that thought, she made herself some pasta and prepared for a nice night of relaxation. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was exactly how Poe had imagined his Prom would look. Decorated in gold and silver balloons that floated up to the ceiling, with an archway that was covered in paper mache roses and leaves, everything looked so magical and whimsical as Poe marveled at how pretty the gym looked for a change. To be here with Finn made it even better.

"It's not bad," said Phasma, as she took a look around. "I mean, the gym looks nice for a change." 

"I think it looks wonderful," said Finn. "Shall we all get our pictures taken?" 

"As long as it's not my mom taking the pictures," Poe replied, corralling the rest of the group in line.

The rest of the group made their way to the line, while Ben staggered behind. It was weird for him to be at a school dance. Seemed like ages ago since his last homecoming. No one seemed to pay any attention to his appearance, not that Ben minded, as he wandered back over to his group. There was some slight discomfort being here, as he didn't know what could happen or who could happen to try to ruin his outing, but Ben was going to try to have a good time. If not for Phasma, at least for his brother.

The nerves were starting to set in as soon as Hux walked through the gym doors. He kept looking back at Mitaka for some reassurance, who was looking ahead to see if the others had arrived or not. Hux already felt like a fool all dressed up in his rented midnight blue tux. He even cut his once unruly curly red hair very short into a slicked back look. He wasn't nervous about how people were going to see him all dressed up. What Hux was most nervous about was whether or not Ben would actually show up. Mitaka nudged Hux and pointed over at the line for photos. He noticed Finn and Poe were smiling and giggling amongst themselves as they ran out of the line to make their way to the dance floor. Hux was happy they eventually found themselves with each other and that there was still some form of pure love in this cold hardened world. It was then that he saw Ben get his picture taken with Phasma that his heart sank. Ben was standing there awkwardly in his classic black tux, his black hair looking just a tad bit shorter than usual. Hux couldn't help but think that it could've been him with Ben taking those stupid cute pictures together. But somehow things got fucked. Now all he had to do was unfuck things before things got even more royally... 

"You." 

Hux nearly jumped when he heard that chilling voice breathe down his throat. He turned around slowly and, sure enough, things were about to get even more royally fucked. Johnny Blasco was the last person he had in mind for this equation. With his off white tux, his face in a permanent sneer, this was a man on a mission to make everyone that ever wronged him pay. With his luck, Hux happened to be first on his list. 

"You got some nerve showing your face here," Johnny spat.

"Same could be said for you, and yet, you're still here." 

Hux and Johnny turned to see that Poe was standing right between them, with Finn close to Poe's side. 

"Poe, how could you show up to Prom with this cheeseball?" Johnny demanded. 

Finn didn't flinch at this remark. Poe kept his cool, while watching out for his brother from the corner of his eye. "Because, unlike you, he has class and admitted that he has fault. What have you done? Besides manipulate both me AND my brother because you think you're all that and a bag of chips?" 

Johnny was speechless. Poe and the others waited for Johnny to come up with a comeback, but it was no use.

"Oh, and one other thing." Wham! It was the punch that came out of nowhere. Poe didn't know if he did it right or if he aimed for the right place on his face, but it was enough to knock him out. Mitaka and Finn gasped audibly, which led to stares from all over the gym. The chaperones didn't see what happened and everyone was murmuring to themselves about what the fuss was. It wasn't so bad until he saw that his older brother was staring, horrified. Hux needed to get everyone out of here immediately, as Poe's knockout wasn't part of the plan. 

"Nothing to see here!" Hux shouted, as Johnny stayed down on the ground. he turned to the other guys and whispered, "Guys, we have to get to the field, now!" 

"Now?" all three of them asked. 

"YES NOW!" Hux yelled, as he pushed them out of his way, running towards the gym doors. 

None of them bothered to look back to see if Johnny was running after them. They just assumed that he was too weak to try to fight any of them, as they ran out of the gym. Their plan had escalated a lot faster than they had anticipated as they ran down the school hall to the closest entrance that would take them to the football field. They could hear footsteps following their trail, wondering if any of the chaperones had caught on their tail. Once they found the south side door that led to the football field, they turned to see the Rey and Jessika were running to catch up with them, holding onto their heels. 

"Guys!" Rey cried out as she finally caught up to them. "Phasma is on her way but Ben is following her. Are we all going out there now?" 

"Yeah, change of plans," Hux nodded. "Looks like we're giving this performance a lot earlier than anticipated." 

"Like, right now?" asked Poe. 

"It has to be right now since you thought punching Johnny was such a good idea!" Jessika cried out, trying to catch her breath. 

"He had it coming," Mitaka defended Poe. "Now, come on, everything is in my car. Let's get it all set up. Poe, you stay here and lead your brother to us." 

"Why do I have to stay behind?" asked Poe. 

"Because I said so!" 

While everyone else hurried to get everything ready on the football, Finn gave Poe a quick peck on the lips before joining the others. Not even two minutes had passed by that Phasma and Ben had found Poe alone in the hallway. Ben looked down at Poe's knuckles and saw that they were scrapped. 

"Poe, are you alright?" Ben asked. 

Poe shrugged off his injury. He almost forgot how much it had hurt. He'd only seen punches thrown in movies and figured that was how they were done. 

"Yeah, I'm alright," said Poe. 

"Oh thank god," Phasma sighed. "Johnny's nose looks pretty ugly, so you certainly did some nice work." 

"Serves him right. Ben, I need to show you something." 

" Oh no. What else did you do?" asked Ben with worry. 

At first, Phasma wasn't sure what Poe meant. She knew that the plan wasn't supposed to go off until halfway through the prom and the court hadn't even been announced. Then, she saw a car driving through the parking lot from one of the windows. She recognized it to be Mitaka's car and looked at it quizzically, wondering why it was driving towards the football field. 

"No Ben, this is important," said Phasma, looking at both Ben and Poe. "You guys are gonna need to get out here now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're the Best Thing About Me- U2


	15. Flower Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT IS HERE!!! THE FINAL CHAPTER!!!! DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I can't believe we've finally reached that point. Writing this story has been such a journey for me. I've been inspired by so many things and to be honest, I couldn't believe I finished this. I had days where I didn't think I was going anywhere with this story, but somehow, I found a way each and every time to continue on. 
> 
> The musical number in 10 Things I Hate About You is as iconic as the poem read at the end. So how was I going to recreate those moments from one of my absolute favorite movies? Well, I couldn't, so I wanted to be able to put my own spin on these moments, and bring them to you in the final chapter. So here it is, in all it's glory!!!! 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I do not own the lyrics to You're The Best Thing About Me by U2. All credit goes to the authors.

"Are you insane?" asked Jessika. "I'm serious, we could probably get expelled for this!!"

"Jessika, we've been doing a lot of things that could get us expelled the past few days," said Hux. "I'm surprised that we were even let into the Prom."

Mitaka was driving his car as slow as he possibly could. He couldn't believe how much of a trainwreck Hux's whole plan was, but at the same time, he was not surprised that things were going the way that they were. 

"Are we going to have time to set up everything?" asked Rey. 

"I hope so," Hux sighed. "Everything has just been...a mess." 

"We just need to get the little amps out of the trunk, all the instruments out, and just do it," said Mitaka. "Forget all the theatrics we had planned. Hux, Ben just wants to see you bare your soul and just be honest with him for a change." 

"So what, now you want me to just scrape this whole performance?" 

"No, are you listening to me?? Do the performance but just remember that it's not about the spectacle!"

"Guys, are we doing this or not?" Rey asked. "I can see everyone else coming and nothing has been set up. Let's park it and get ready!" 

As Mitaka parked his car, Hux, Rey, and Jessika got out all of the amps and instruments from the back seat and the trunk to set everything up on the field. The field was conveniently unlocked as they swung open the gates and strolled right onto the field, carrying the instruments. Hux couldn't believe the lack of security at his school. Just as they were finishing setting things up, Hux could see some people making their way towards the field. He panicked at first, thinking one of the chaperones had followed them out of the gym, but then he recognized the shimmery metallic dress that he saw Phasma wearing from earlier. She was leading the pack, holding onto her heals, as Finn and Poe followed closely behind. Not far off was Ben, running to catch up with the rest of them, as he limped his way over with the group. Ben looked none too thrilled to have been dragged over to the field but Hux couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked underneath the full moon light.

"Hey, thanks for leaving me when I fell into that ditch!" Ben yelled out. "Someone needs to put a sign over there so that no one twists their ankle!" As he limped out onto the field, his eyes light up when he saw all the instruments that were set up. Memories came flashing back to him of his one time family band as he marveled at each instrument. He fondly remembered his dad teaching him and Poe how to play guitars as he plucked on the guitar and bass strings. Another memory of his dad beating on the drums like a mad man came rushing back as he tapped on the drum kit, smiling. He paid no attention to anyone else as he touched every instrument. It was as if he was in his own little world. He looked curiously with wonder as he hovered over the keyboard, aimlessly touching the keys. "By god, if Holdo sees any of this, she'd-" 

He looked up from the keyboard and saw Hux standing right in front of him. Hux smiled sheepishly as Ben took his fingers off the keys and tried to think of something to say. What could Ben say to him? He had a million different variations of "I hate you", but the words were failing him. He stood there like a ghost as everyone else assembled around their instruments, waiting for their cue. 

"If you don't mind," said Hux. 

Dumbfounded, Ben backed away from the keyboard and limped over to Jessika, Rey, and Mitaka. The four of them watched as the band assembled, with Poe on guitar, Finn on bass, and Phasma on drums. Hux was the last to step up as brought his microphone over to his keyboard. Tapping on the mic, he cleared his throat and looked at his audience of four. While the majority of the audience looked on at the band with eagerness and excitement, Ben looked on at everything with hesitation and confusion. He wondered if this was supposed to be a much bigger set up or if this was their idea of a big performance, hoever, Ben wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt that they probably sounded good. He also didn't know that Hux could play any instruments or sing.

"Attention everyone: We are the Knights of Ren. I'd like to dedicate this song tonight," said Hux, looking right at Ben, "to a very special guy. I think he knows who he is." 

Dumbfounded, Ben pointed at himself and mouthed, "Me?" It almost didn't register that Hux really called the band "Knights of Ren". He looked back at his brother, who sheepishly waved at him while he tuned his guitar. Ben seriously thought he knew exactly what was going on but this was really becoming more and more of a surprise. Hux looked back at the group, giving them a cue. 

"When you look so good, the pain in your face doesn't show," Hux sang. 

Ben was taken aback at how good Hux sounded, considering how much he smoked. His voice had a rawness reminiscent of Bono's mixed in with the power of Brandon Flowers. The rest of the band sounded great as well. Ben always knew that Poe was an excellent guitar player, but he was quite surprised with Phasma's and Finn's musical abilities. Little did he know just how hard they had practiced together in such a short time span. They sounded like the real deal, like a band he wanted to be in. 

"You're the best thing about me," Hux crooned, stepping away from his keyboard and making his way over to Ben. "The best thing that could happen to a boy." 

Hux took Ben's hand while singing and led him away from the others, bringing him over to the band. Hux led Ben over to the keyboards, signalling him to give them a try. Ben shook his head at first, worried he wouldn't play the song correctly, as Hux sauntered over to the microphone stand. The band kept playing on as Hux looked back at Ben, waiting for him to start playing. Ben pressed a key and Hux nodded. It was validation enough for Ben to keep on playing, constantly marveling at how good of a singer Hux was. He was so much better than he expected and couldn't help but swoon over his rockstar abilities. 

"I can see it all so clearly. I can see what you can't see." Hux crooned, walking back over to Ben and singing right to him. As Hux got closer, Ben took this as an opportunity to lean right into him and sing along.

"You're the best thing about me," Hux and Ben sang together, their lips so close to the microphone. "The best things are easy to destroy. You're the best thing about me. Why am I? Why am I walking away?" 

As they held onto that last note, Hux and Ben looked at each other for a moment in amazement. Maybe it was the heat of the moment or just U2's lyrical content, but Ben was starting to feel something for Hux. Something he hadn't really truly felt in quite some time. 

"OKAY NOW KISS!" Mitaka yelled. 

And with that, the mood was cut. There were groans from all around, with Phasma throwing her drumsticks at Mitaka for ruining such a perfect and genuine moment. Annoyed, Ben limped away from the keyboard, not waiting for his brother or Phasma to follow him. 

"Ben, wait!" Hux called out, stopping in front of him before he could leave the field. 

"Hux, if you're looking for me to kiss you, the answer is no." Ben said bitterly. 

"Did I get through to you at least?" 

"What is there to get through to? You're the one who lied to me! I was so stupid enough to get lost in the music and spectacle..." 

"I just wanted to find a way to say that I was sorry. Did it work?" 

Ben took a deep breath and sighed. "There are twelve things that I loathe about you. Somewhat. First, you're quite obnoxious. Secondly, I can't stand that you constantly smell like an ashtray. Third, you really think that Nietzsche is the above all when it comes to cultural criticism. Your hair is an travesty most of the time and your boots are dumb. You chew with your mouth open sometimes and you hate pineapple on pizza. In fact, what sane person thinks sausage is the best pizza topping? You embarrassed me at my lacrosse game, I can't tell if any of the rumors are true about you because you're so weird. In fact, I loathe that we might actually be the same person."

Hux's eyes widened, wondering why people would be so against sausage as a pizza topping. But at the same time, he was impressed that Ben could think of all these things and be so specific. 

"But I guess the thing that I loathe the most about you," said Ben, stepping closer to Hux, "is that somehow, I don't actually loathe you at all. But I still think you're a bit of a nerfherder."

"So...what are you saying?" asked Hux, his nose pressed on Ben's. 

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, you have a smooth way of crawling back to me. And it's working." 

Hux smirked. "Oh, is it?" 

Ben pressed his lips softly on Hux's. It was a tingly sensation, as Hux tasted the minty chapstick on Ben's mouth. The kiss was everything that Hux wanted and then some. As for Ben, kissing Hux was one of the best things to come out of this crazy Prom night.

Hux pulled away from Ben and smiled. "So I really did good didn't I?" 

Ben chuckled. "You know, you can't just put together the Knights of Ren every time you screw up, right?" 

"Yeah, but you gotta admit we do have pretty good lineup going." 

Ben looked back at Phasma, Poe, and Finn, who were packing up all of their instruments in Mitaka's car. There was a very likely chance that they were all going to get in serious trouble for their illegal performance on the football field. But that somehow didn't matter to him. Right now, he was still shaking from the rush he got from doing that one song. Now if he could imagine the Knights of Ren as a proper band, all five of them practicing in the summer, perhaps going out for Battle of the Bands. He was also starting to see an actual relationship with Hux. One with them going to record stores, seeing local bands at dive bars, driving to the forrest on hot summer nights. All the possibilities were endless. 

With that, Ben smiled, kissing Hux on the cheek. "Yeah, it's not bad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower Power-Greta Van Fleet
> 
>  
> 
> I would like to thank you all for reading this story. To all the people, places, and things that gave me great inspiration, this one is for you!!


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